Helaing darkness, Broken Light
by bloodrose666
Summary: the warrior of light is broken adn wounded with no one to help him... when the sages ask of him to destroy a lingering darkness he gives up his sword to save him becasue in those red eyes he may find the way to heal. Yaoi LinkDark linkoc
1. Chapter 1

Link walked into the castle courtyard his head hung low and his shoulders slumped. The sun was shining and the sky was clear but it did nothing for his depression. Not even the sight of the smiling princess chased away the darkness that clouded his thoughts. He held the letter in his hand that told of how Zelda had great news to tell him. He half hoped it was that they had found someone else to be the Hero of Time but that was just wishful thinking.

Upon seeing him Zelda ran up to him smiling like she had when Gannon was killed. She grabbed onto his hands nearly jumping up an down, making Link fake a smile to keep her from getting his depression.

"Oh Link I have the most wonderful news!"

It didn't work though because as soon as she looked up at his face her smile turned into a look of concern.

"Hey Link what's wrong?"

"He's been depressed like this for almost two months Zelda." Navi spoke worried, "I tried to ask him but he won't tell me what's wrong."

"You don't need to worry about it Zelda. I'm okay. I don't need to get you down with my problems."

She squeezed his hands as she looked in his eyes. He knew what she saw there and he turned away to keep her form seeing it.

"Look at me Link."

She placed her hand on his cheek forcing him to look at her.

"You look like your about to cry any second."

"If only I could…"

"Come Link. I want to know what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

She took his hand and began leading him into the courtyard where they first met. Navi waited in the archway giving them time to themselves.

"You don't have to Zelda."

"I'm your friend Link. I care for you and want to help. Come sit down and talk to me. I feel you need it."

Link had no choice but to obey. She led him into the grass patch below the window and sat down beckoning him to join her. He sat down next to her, drawing his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around his knees, hiding his face in his arms.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm the Hero of Time."

He could see the perplexed look on Zelda's face. She didn't understand, no one did. At least nothing human understood.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the hero of Time. Sure I'm the most popular person in hyrule, all the women want me and all the men want to be me but the only one who doesn't want it is the one who already does…"

"I don't understand…" she was worried and confused he knew it but he knew she couldn't and never would understand. Link stood up and looked up to the sky where a pair of birds fluttered about. On the ground there was a pair of squirrels playing together amongst the trees and a pair of butterflies flitting and fluttering amongst the flowers. He had too use all his will power to hold back the tears.

"I'm alone Zelda…"

He could hear the rustle of her dress as she stood up and put her hand on his arm. He pulled away and walked over to lean against the stone wall.

"You are not alone--"

"Yes I am. You don't understand. The only ones that do are Navi and Epona because they went through it with me. You will never understand so lets just forget it okay? I don't want to talk about it anymore."

It was a tone that told her it was the end of the discussion. Zelda had known him long enough to know when he wanted to stop talking about it and she always respected it.

"So what was this news you wanted to tell me?"

"Zelda! There you are. You worried me."

Link looked up to see a tall, blonde haired man, in regal clothes walk up to Zelda and grab her hands gently. She smiled and kissed him which made Link want to just wither and die. He was jealous of Zelda for finding the love he could not. But he tried to smile for Zelda's sake. He was her friend and he didn't need to ruin her happiness with his sadness.

"Oh Link this is my Fiancé Brock. Brock this is my best friend Link. He's also the Hero of Time."

Brock turned to him and held out a hand with a smile on his face. Link shook it hiding his depression from the overly happy couple.

"I finally meet the famous Hero of Time. It is nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"I wanted you to meet him Link. I wanted to make sure you approve.", Zelda said as she wrapped her arms around the man in front of her. She was snuggling up against him not knowing how much she was making him just want to crawl into a corner. They reminded him of what he wished he had but never could. He closed his eyes in a effort to hold back tears that were threatening to spill. He couldn't stay here any longer.

"I do. I am happy fro you Zelda. And a note to you Brock you break her heart I break your neck. I'm sorry Zelda but I have to go. Epona is waiting and I don't want to worry her."

Link turned to walk away when Brock spoke.

"Is that your girlfriend?"

"No. my horse." He snapped.

As soon as he was out of sight of the castle he went on a dead run along the castle path and into the market. He barely heard Navi's yell as he ran through the market tears falling form his eyes. He pushed and shoved his way through the crowd that surrounded him. They all gave him odd looks when they saw his face but he didn't care. He needed the one comfort he had that waited right outside the market place.

Right across the bridge stood Epona. She was right where he had left her and he ran to her. Epona turned seeing him coming and ran to him. He wanted something to hold onto. He needed it. The second he was in reach he wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face into her hide and cried. Epona rested her head on his back holding him the only way she could, rubbing her nose against his back. Navi rushed to him and landed on his shoulder holding his cheek since she was so small.

He was broken. The great Hero of Time was broken and alone like a child lost in darkness. The one thing he wanted he couldn't have. And the thing he was given he didn't want. Everyone else was happy but him. He was alone but desperately didn't want to be.

"It's okay Link… we're here."

He let go of Epona to look at Navi who had landed in one of his hands. She flew up to wipe some of his tears away with her hand.

"Navi? You won't leave me will you?"

"Of course not! I am bound to you link. You stuck with me." She said as she kissed his nose.

Link smiled as he turned to Epona and held her head in his hands.

"You won't leave me either will you Epona."

She licked his face and nuzzled his neck.

"You two are all I have."

"We know. Why don't we get home. Maybe Saria's playing can get you in a lighter mood."

"Yeah…"

(Two weeks later)

"Wake up link! Its morning you have to get up. "

Link grunted as he pulled the covers up over his head and swung at the small fairy that flew about him. "Go away Navi... Can't I sleep in? I did just save the world you know."

"Three years ago! Jeez i would think at least when you grew up you would be less lazy but it's almost as if you have gotten worse."

Link growled as he buried himself deeper in his covers trying to hide himself form the sunlight peeking in through his tree house window. By the goddesses how he hated morning. Especially since he had not had much sleep fro the last two weeks because, of nightmares from his quest to save Hyrule. He had had about five hours of sleep total this week alone and a sleep deprived hero of time was neither a pretty sight nor even a very nice person. Only up side was his depression had lessened somewhat.

"Why do you insist to wake me up at the butt crack of dawn anyway?"

"Because the sages have summoned you! You are needed at the temple of time right away for an important mission. "

"Now what?" Link growled. "All right I will get up but would you please leave so i can get dressed?"

"Yep! Meet you at the ladder in ten minutes!"

"Yeah...yeah..."

_Falls for it every time…_ Link snuggled back into the covers and dozed back off for at least another half hour before Navi came up and ripped the covers off.

"Link! Get up!"

"All right All right!"

He put his feet down on the wooden floor and rested his arms on his knees as he bent over to try and clear his sleep fogged mind. He was still exhausted but when the sages summoned they expect a reply/ appearance within that day. He had suffered the repercussions of it when Zelda shown up at his house and ripped into him with her knives left over from when she was sheik. His back side still stung from when one hit him in the butt cheek. He never wanted that again.

He stretched and yawned his back cracking as he stood up and walked toward the full body mirror that leaned up against the wall. He looked in the mirror as he brushed his bangs from his face. He was no longer the young boy like hero of time everyone remembered. His face had hardened, his eyes had grown darker and a scar adorned his left cheek from a stray arrow. His body was lithe and muscular, not to mention taller but still a bit short, his hair was long and dark blonde, Flowing down his back since he had gotten rid of the hat he used to wear. The main reason It no longer fit since he let his hair grow out. He no longer wore the tight leggings from his teenage years but wore loose trousers instead. He had tuned into the most handsome man in Hyrule except for at this particular moment.

At this particular moment, his hair was all over the place, his eyes dull with black circles around them and very pale skin from lack of sleep and food. He looked half dead and felt it too. He looked more like a zombie than the hero of time and he knew as soon as he walked into that temple there will be four women that will ask those annoying are you okay? And what happened to you? Questions. Oh joy...

Link sighed. Might as well try and make myself look healthy. He walked over to a desk and found a small container filled with a skin color cream in it. He took his finger dabbed it in and rubbed it on his face while in front of the mirror. He thanked Malon for letting him borrow some of her makeup so he could fool Zelda and the others into thinking nothing was wrong. Well at least physically anyway. He wouldn't get into mentally.

Once finished he looked a little less sleep deprived which was enough for him. He grabbed his green tunic from the wall and put it on, brushed his hair real fast, grabbed his sword, shield, pack and cloak, and walked out the door. He winced at the bright sunshine that assaulted him as soon as he walked out. He was getting to really hate the sunshine. It was way too cheery for his liking.

He jumped down from the ledge not wanting to use the ladder and landed down at the bottom. He closed his eyes as he waited for Navi, eventually dozing off against the tree waiting for her. It did not last long when the nightmares came to him. This time though he wasn't inside his body but someone else's.

He was chained to a wall his arms spread over his head the chains attached to a pulley system that kept him form going far. He wore only a pair of ripped leggings that barley held his modesty. Around his neck was a collar with another chain attached to it. The end was being held in the hand of an unknown observer that could only be made out by his shadowed outline. In a failed attempt to free himself he caught his reflection in a mirror that stood nearby. What looked back at him was an angelic and beautiful male face with long black hair and blood red eyes. His body was long and thin but tightly muscled with a few foreign muscle designs on his body by the shoulder. But behind him he saw two moving shadows that later appeared to be wings! Who was he? What was he?

"Ahh my lovely it seems you are awake. You are as beautiful as they say. I would take you here and now if I didn't have other plans for you..."

"Who are you bastard?" His mouth spoke without permission. He was seeing through different eyes.

The chain around his neck was suddenly jerked and he fell to the ground face first. Soon after a large spiked boot kicked him in the side blood pooling on the ground from the gash that now adorned his side pain racking his form.

"I am your master you insolent beast!" The man yelled as he jerked him off the ground using the chain around his neck. The one he saw through looked up at the shadowed man defiantly and said,

"I have no master. I am no man's slave."

Crunch! The shadowed man punched him square in the face before yanking the chain up too his face where his face came into full view. Link almost screamed. I was Ganondorf!

"We shall see about that."

"Ahhh!" Link yelled as he shot up form his dosing. He was breathing hard and he could still feel the pain of the wounds inflicted in his dream. Navi came flying and almost smacked right into when she heard him scream.

"Link are you okay?"

"It's okay Navi I'm fine."

"Another nightmare?"

"Yeah…"

"Don't dwell on it too much. Come on we gotta get Epona."

And with that they left the forest and out into the field. Link yawned again as he dug into his pack searching for his ocarina while Navi flitted about like she always did.

"We gotta hurry link it sounded like it was very urgent."

"Yeah...yeah... it's always urgent with them. Last time they called me in because a few skeletons were attacking Kakariko village and the last time because one measly wolfo had wandered into Hyrule town market... I wonder what stupid mission they have me on this time. Now where did a put that thing?"

"That wolfo could have killed someone!"

"Oh come on Navi! It was a baby hardly old enough to be away from its mother! I swear sometimes those sages are becoming way too paranoid."

"What's with you lately Link? You have been very angry and bitter these last few days."

"Well maybe going through hell and back, having to live with nightmares that keep you up all night and sages that call on you at all hours of the day because of some stupid monster wandering into someone else's territory, among many others things... I can make a whole list if ya want!" Link snapped.

"Link...I..."

Link looked at Navi as she started to tear up. He never yelled at her before. He suddenly felt guilty for yelling at her when she wasn't the cause.

"I'm sorry Navi. I didn't mean to yell at you... Just forget it okay?"

"Okay. Well we should still hurry."

"I know. Ah hah! There you are."

Link played a short little tune to call his ever faithful Epona too him. Within moments she was riding up to him at full gallop happy to see her old friend. She stopped in front of him and gave him a lick to the face in greeting instantly helping links mood.

"Morning Epona."

Her gave her a hug and patted her on the nose as she nuzzled his neck. She knew something was wrong and it was her way of asking if he was okay. She always knew when something was wrong.

"I'm okay Epona."

He hugged her once again for her comfort and his. She had always been by his side and he was grateful. She was always the faithful stead. He climbed up into the saddle and threw his dark blue cloak around his shoulders pulling the hood over his head. He grabbed the reins and off they went toward the Hyrule market. The wind helped to wake him up somewhat and the sight of thunder clouds off in the distance told of a coming storm. He had to get this over with as soon as possible so he could get Epona back to Lon Lon on ranch before the storm.

The market was just like it used to be since the rebuilding. It was lively and loud with all the customers and shopkeepers bustling about. It cheered him a little to see things back the way they were after Ganondorf was destroyed.

He walked into the temple of time and through the great stone door where the master sword once stood. It's current location on links back. Many memories were in this place, some good some not so much. This was were it all truly started and where it ended and will probably start again when some other power hungry mad man comes around. He unsheathed the sword and walked through the stone door and stood over the pedestal. The triforce symbol began to glow and brisk winds whipped up beneath him. He closed his eyes as a warm sensation wrapped around him as the winds lifted him into the air.

His eyes opened to see the seven sages surrounding him on their individual pedestals. He stood hiding a yawn as they talked amongst themselves unaware of his presence. They were arguing over some matter that included some old enemy and whether or not they should let him die or not. Link looked over at Navi raising an eyebrow. The little fairy shrugged so link cleared his throat. Whatever they were talking about ceased at the realization of his presence.

"What is it this time?"

"You are needed for a mission that may be difficult for you to accept. We weren't sure whether or not too leave it too you but Zelda insisted." saira said.

"Well, what is it?"

"Zelda you mind explaining? You were with Gannon after all."

Zelda nodded and walked up to link with apprehension in her voice.

"Link...while I was in Gannon's castle I found out many of his secrets in creating the monsters you had to face. Some I found weren't created but changed or made to do his bidding without choice..."

"All this doesn't surprise me. what has it to do with the mission?"

"Well, the one we need you to help is or once was your enemy. Let me show you."

A large circular hole formed in the wall that began to twist and make a picture in the center. It was of hyrule lake facing the water temple. The scene then moved going underwater and into the temple itself as if it was being guided by an unseen force. It shifted through the temple going through corridors and hallways so fast it was hard to keep up when suddenly it stopped at a very familiar doorway. it went through the door way into a room he knew. It was a lake with a single tree sitting alone in the middle. The very place he faced dark link.

"You recognize the place?"

"Yes. I was once there."

"Then you should recognize him."

It shifted to run around the back of the tree and centered on a figure he knew too well. Lying, bleeding on what little ground there was, was a young man who looked like him as a teenager but wearing all black, with white hair and red eyes. he had gashes and cuts all over him and he was visibly in a great amount of pain.

Link jumped back. He was alive? But Gannon was dead... All his minions he created died with him hadn't they? Unless…

"How could he be still alive?"

"That's what we asked when Ruto came to tell us what she had found. we had gone to check it out when he attacked us."

"I wouldn't blame him."

"The strange thing is though he asked us where you were. We knew he was dying and told him we wanted to try and help him but he said he wanted you and no one else."

"Why? I was the reason for his state."

"we do not know but this will give us an advantage. we wish for you to kill him." Nabroo spoke. "we don't need him to get better and turn into his master."

"Nabroo! we cannot kill this boy! can't you see he has nothing left but what we could give him? My vision told me that if he lives he could be a great benefit."

"to the other side! Your visions are always vague princess!"

Link reached his hand up to the vision in the mirror and rested his palm against it. He could see the pain and agony the boy was going through. The blood he was losing, the way he was curled up like a small child it all pulled at links heart. Those deep red eyes that seemed to cry out. Through the whole fight those eyes spoke of pain and regret. He knew the creature did not want to fight him. Link knew that that creature had a soul unlike all the others. As he watched the mirror the young man looked up straight into it so their eyes locked. They pleaded for mercy. Those eyes born such loneliness that it pulled him. He wanted to read out and help the poor boy their on the ground. He wanted to hold him and take the pain away. He could see in his eye she was of no harm anymore. He was helpless and the look in his eyes was the same emotion that he had had many times and still does. He felt it so strongly that tears began to form in his eyes as the sages argued. He was not created by Gannon. He had been a slave. It was a situation he knew all too well.

"Link you must kill him!"

he whipped around and yelled back, "You want me too kill a helpless boy? He is harmless... He needs help not death."

"He is not helpless Link! That thing was your enemy! You should have killed him when you first fought him!"

"You did not fight him! You did not look into his eyes! I showed him compassion when others didn't!"

"Compassion is a weakness! You are weak!"  
"Naboroo that is enough!" yelled impa.

"You know what Nabroo? If i lacked compassion for this world i would have never helped you in defeating Gannon or saved you from the witches! I would have left this world to rot under Gannon's rule and left you to be slave to the witches.

Naboroo went silent at seeing the force of the hero's fury. While the others gasped.

"He wasn't created by Gannon. He was a slave."

Zelda grabbed onto his arm in an effort to plead to him.

"Please link, i saw him in Gannon's castle after you defeated him. He has a soul. He had a life of his own. he was a slave to Gannon locked away in a dark pit until he became of use. He was alone with no one to comfort him. he shouldn't die that way..." Zelda pleaded with Link.

"I know." Link looked down at the floor raising his hand to his forehead before looking back up at the curled up boy in the mirror. No one should suffer like that alone. He knew because he had been doing it for years. He had decided. "I refuse to kill him."

"If you decide to help him then you must give up the master sword link."

Nabroo was sure that she would get him with that one. She was wrong.

"Very well. I don't care anymore. You can find someone else to save your world. I didn't choose to be the hero of time in the first place. I never wanted it."

He used the sword to bring himself back to the pedestal and stood before it. He raised the sword above his head and slammed it into the pedestal then walked away never looking back as he walked straight out of the church.

"Link do you realize what you have--"

"Yes and they can go to hell. Navi i need you to fly ahead of me and tell Malon to get me four bottles of healing potions and four bottles of lon lon milk ready."

"Okay link..."

Navi flew off as he went into the market to find himself a new sword. Once he found a suitable broadsword he called to epona and rode over to Lon Ranch. He was there long enough to load the bottles and pay the need amount before he was off again. He had to get there quickly if he was to save the boy. to hell with them. He was going to make his own choices. He was going to follow his heart for once in his life and not even the goddesses themselves will stop him.

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My first yaoi! I hope it is good so far. well read and review oh and befroe i for get i do not own legend of Zelda or any of the charecters well except my oc which you meet later...

Though i do have a copy of the game.


	2. The change

Epona whinnied as she jumped over the hyrule lake gate, landing flawlessly on the other side. Link held tight to her reins, his eyes looking straight forward, only concentrating on his goal. He gripped the overflowing pack of supplies that hung over his shoulder as they made a sharp turn to reach the entrance to the lakes beach. he had to hurry if he was to make it in time. He no longer had the iron boots, but the Zora tunic he still had. He would just have to dive to get down there and besides, the heavy pack on his back would weigh him down just as effectively as the iron boots would anyway.

Epona made a swift stop as he jumped off and dropped the pack by the waters edge. Navi flew around restlessly as he searched through his pack for the tunic. When he found it he began waxing nostalgic about the last time he had used it. He remembered the last time he had faced his dark side in the water temple three years ago... what happened when he defeated him...

_The hammer hit dark link square in the jaw, knocking him senseless. He fell ten feet away, only able to stumble a few steps when he tried to stand. Link watched as he desperately tried to swing his sword only to miss and fall into links arms with tears in his eyes. His dark side fell limp and crashed on the ground, blood pouring from his head and the many gashes he had sustained from Link's sword. Link raised the sword over his head to finish him off, only to stop short when the boy below him looked into his eyes._

_Tears spilled freely from those eyes. A broken soul crying out for mercy looked back at him, unhindered. This creature did not have the glazed look that all of Gannon's minions possessed. They were clear, soaked in blood and darkness. His blade faltered, falling to his side as he looked strangely at him. _

_"What are you looking at? Kill me now, oh great hero, while you have the chance." He coughed, "I'm dead either way."_

_"I can't."_

_He laughed a weak laugh that turned into a series of ragged coughs . The coughs then turned into a gag and blood spat form his mouth. "Why? I'm your enemy. It's your duty and etc."_

_"You are not like the others."_

_"How do you know that?"_

_"I can see it in your eyes," Link said as he crouched next to his supposed evil twin, "and besides, I can feel you do not wish to kill me."_

_"It is true, but if you do not kill me I die anyway." He said in a matter of fact tone._

_"What do you mean?" Link asked as he kneeled next to his dark side and picked him up, resting his head on his shoulder._

_"My master will kill me for failing my mission. If his creatures fail he kills them, deeming them too weak to use." He said with a sigh just before eh coughed up more blood._

_"I saw that first hand."_

_"I bet you did. Hopefully I will die here and not have to worry about it."_

_"Why do wish for death?"_

_"I have nothing else."_

_Link suddenly felt a sense of defiance. He wasn't going to let him die like this. He didn't know where the sudden feeling came from but he embraced it. This creature didn't deserve death._

_"I can help you. You can come with me and I can find a place safe for you."_

_"Don't bother."_

_"why not?"_

_"I can't leave. Only when my master dies can I leave. "_

_That would be a problem…. Well at least he could do something. _

_"Well… at least let me heal you."_

_His dark side looked up at him puzzled. _

_"why are you so kind to me, your enemy?"_

_"Because your are not my enemy and I feel it's the only kindness ever given to you."_

_"Your right. But if you do heal me, promise me something."_

_"what?"_

_"Destroy Gannon for me and slice him across the face once for me too."_

_"I promise."_

_Link pulled out a fairy bottle and pulled out the cork with his teeth. The small bundle of light went to float around link but he motioned it towards the boy in his arms. It flew around him healing his wounds and returning the strength he had lost in battle. When the fairy disappeared he sat up slowly then stood, looking back at him._

_"I thank you Hero. It's the first expression of kindness I have had in a long time."_

_Link stood up smiling as he patted his others shoulder. "don't mention it._

_Dark returned a small smile before his eyes suddenly widened, like he had forgotten something. " Oh! And since you did defeat me I have something to give you. You may find it useful, come this way."_

Link smiled for once in a long time. They had formed a short but close friendship that day. He remembered how many times he had sent letters via navi to him telling of his progress and generalities that most friends talked about. Then he would send back secrets of the temples that neither the sages nor sheik knew, plus the generalities.

once he did defeat Gannon he learned of the consequences of it. He learned that with his defeat all his minions would die. He didn't believe it at first until he sent a letter via Navi to the water temple. Navi came back with it and the news that she found D.L. dead in the room of illusions. He had lost his closest friend that day and it was the catalyst to his depression.

But now he had to forget about the past. His friend was no longer dead but alive and lying, bleeding in the water temple that his friend had called home for so long. Link hurriedly switched tunics, grabbed his pack and dove head first into the water of lake Hylia. He swam out to where he floated just above the entrance to the temple.

"Be careful Link."

"I will Navi, don't worry. I will meet you in there."

He dived into the water and swam straight down, the weight of the pack helping him sink to the bottom faster. As soon as he hit bottom he swam straight into the entrance and up into the temple itself. He slowly pulled him self out of the water and ringed himself out. When eh looked around he could see the slight decay of the temple since he had been in it last. It had some mold on the walls in random places and cobwebs glistening with water droplets. It was still beautiful but empty since the monsters cleared out a long time ago.

Link exhaled loudly as he looked around. Now how did I get too that room again?

"Link! Where are you!"

"Over here Nav!"

"Oh!"

Navi flittered over to him having came through a crack in the upper walls only big enough for her to squeeze through.

"so which way do we go?"

"Give me one sec Nav."

Link closed his eyes and listened. He expanded his senses through out the temple in order to find his old friend. It was a trick D.L. had taught him. It had saved his life on more than one occasion. Suddenly he smelt blood and pain coming from above them. He focused on it and pinpointed the direction.

"I found him."

"where?"

"This way."

Link made his way through all the old traps and countless changing of the water levels until he finally made it to the doors of the room of illusions. Link took a deep breath before pushing the door open. A wave of mist hit him in the face as he walked in, his boots making soft splashing sounds as he walked across the illusionary water. He looked around for the tree not seeing it through the thick fog that now permeated the place. He couldn't see a thing through it.

"Link! Look at your feet!"

The water was red as it swirled around his boots. It was blood. He was close. He kneeled down and pinpointed the direction it was coming from, then continued to walk. Suddenly his boot hit land and he knew where he was. He held out his hand and searched around until he found the tree. Then carefully walked around until he saw a black covered shoulder.

The body wasn't moving as he kneeled next to his friend. As he turned him over the fog disappeared showing the extent of his injuries. His back was soaked in blood as well as his side. He checked his pulse and found there was one but it was very weak. If he had gotten here later he would be dead. Suddenly he curled in on himself which made Link worry. He picked him up and rested him on his shoulder just like when they had first met.

"D are you all right?"

A very familiar voice wafted across his ears, drifting like the fog. He knew that voice from somewhere. Something warm and living wrapped around him smelling of the deep forest and fresh rain. The smell was familiar too. It was a comforting smell making him cling to the warmth that came with it.

"D are you all right?"

D….. There was only one person who ever called him that. Could it be him that he clung too? His eyes slowly opened the barest of slits, just enough too see. Sky blue eyes shrouded by sunlight colored hair met his vision. A concerned , worried and very familiar face looked down at him.

"Link…Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Thank god." He said as he snuggled closer, trying to get the warmth he had been missing.

"I thought you were dead."

A small smirk crept across his face. "Not quite…"

A flash of cold hit him making him shiver and snuggle closer to links body.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm cold…"

He felt something draped around him that held links warmth and his scent. He sighed feeling a bit better.

"Better?"

"mmhmmm?"

"what happened?"

"I…I…was…"

Suddenly his throat was closed off by the leather choker around his neck. His eyes went wide and he sat up, despite the pain, trying to claw off the necklace.

"D what's wrong?"

"He's….doing it again! I-I can't breath! The necklace it's choking me!"

"How do we get it off?"

"You…you have to freeze it!"

Freeze…. Freeze…. Oh yeah! Ice arrows! He dug through his pack locating the mystical arrows. He always kept them with him because of their many different uses. He pulled one out and held it above the collar that was tightening around D's neck. He pushed his arms down so he could get to the piece of leather without freezing him.

"Now hold still."

"Hurry!"

Link touched the edge of the arrowhead against the leather. Instantly the whole thing froze and with a tap it broke, the collar falling in little pieces to the ground. D took a deep breath as his breath returned and just like that he collapsed back into links arms. His eyes slipped closed as the hat identical to links fell to the ground, letting D's long white hair fall past his shoulders. But he didn't rest long when a bolt of pain shot through his body causing him to wince and wake back up.

"Ow…"

"Are you okay?"

"That's a stupid question."

"I have a few potions with me. I can heal you."

"I'm too weak to hold the bottle."

"I'll hold it for you."

"I figured you'd say that."

Link shifted D's body so he was lying on his back against his arm. He pulled out one of the prepared bottles and pulled the cork off with his teeth. He looked down at D watching for a moment as he winced while breathing. What all happened to him? Link put the bottle down and reached for D's shirt where most of the blood was coming from.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to see the extent of the damage."

"It's not pretty."

"I don't expect it to be."

With D's help they got the shirt off and Link gasped. A large gash that went form the shoulder, in a diagonal streak across his chest to his waist, branded D's pale skin. It was made by a sword and by the grave of the goddesses avoided any major organs. Along side of it were burn marks, he could tell were from Gannon's energy balls. He had a few of the same marks himself.

"BY the goddesses…"

"I told you."

Link took and gently spread a small amount on the wound causing a few hissed breaths to come from D. Link then held the bottle to D's lips as he began to drink slowly. As he drank his strength returned and the many wounds on his body healed up leaving only small scars, except for the one. By the time it was half way gone D could hold it on his own and chugged down the rest of it. He sat up as he downed the last of it and dropped the bottle into his lap.

"Thank you Link."

"What are friends for? Now what happened? How are you still alive?"

D stood up testing out his legs. They seemed to be holding up. That stuff worked wonders.

"After you got into his castle he came after me and beat me senseless. He figured out how I helped you and punished me for it. He then put another spell on me making it so It will never heal but I won't die until the collar is removed. After he was finished he left me here half dead and unconscious until recently."

"Recently?"

"That water princess found me and brought me out of my tortured slumber. Let me tell you I wasn't a happy person."

"Why didn't he just kill you?"

"He couldn't. I was a slave not a creation of his. And I wasn't from Hyrule originally."

"Not form Hyrule? Then where?"

"I don't know. I can't remember. All the torture and magic he used on me gave me amnesia."

Out of nowhere D felt a burning sensation in his right hand. He looked down at the dark version of the triforce mark and raised it too his face. As he looked at it, one by one, the triangles slowly began to fade. His eyes widened. Could it be?

"What is it D?" Link asked as he stood up.

"The spell is wearing off."

"What spell?"

Before D could answer the muscles in his body suddenly spasm and his bones shifted and tore at his skin. He dropped to his knees as he cried out in pain, his skin muscles and bone stretching and cracking as his body began to revert back to it's original state.

"D what is it?"

"Stay back Link." d said in between spasms. "Your about to see the undoing of what Gannon did to me.", came out a deeper voice.

Link stood back and watched as D's skin writhed and crawled, stretching over bones and muscle that were moving and shifting. D's left arm grew first, becoming larger and longer, soon followed by his right. Then his upper body lengthened out, becoming thinner but more muscular than D had been. Next came his legs as they lengthened and became a pair of long and powerful legs that stretched the cloth covering them. Suddenly a bright light engulfed D and a powerful blast of energy slammed into Link knocking him back into the tree.

When the light subsided a whole different person stood where D once had been. Where a paler version of himself once stood, stood a man that had to have been at least 6'4". He was the size of Gannon but thinner and paler, a lot paler. He was almost white actually. His body was lean and sinewy like a cat, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. It gave him the look of having feminine curves. His hair was long, down to his waist long, and so black the night would be jealous. His ears were pointed but not as long as they once had been. His face though was what knocked link for a loop. It was a soft almost feminine face but with enough angles to it that you could see it was still masculine. His eyes were they same way but instead of blood red they were cat like and the deepest shade of midnight blue Link had ever seen. He was beautiful…

"D?"

"I was."

His voice sent chills down Link's spine. It was that deep resonating, voice that could melt women's hearts and calm the most wild of beasts.

"Your gorgeous!" squeaked Navi as she flew around him.

"I'm not finished. I just hope there still there."

Link heard bone shift and skin tear as what looked like a hump formed on D's back. It shifted and jutted up until the skin ripped and blood began to spill down his back. Link watched in awe as a second joined it and the tips of two black lumps began to push through the cuts. They continued to push out to reveal what looked like the tips of a pair of black bird wings. Then in one great blood spray whatever was in his back came loose ripping out of the skin. A large pair of black bird wings coated in blood stretched out to form an almost ten foot wingspan, large enough to wrap around him twice.

"You have wings!"

"I told you I wasn't from here." He chuckled. "Oh….Bloody Hell…"

"Link Catch him!"

D began to fall forward and Link ran to him. He caught him just in time so he didn't hit the floor. The force of the impact though nearly knocked him to the ground, now realizing he was much heavier than he once was. He kneeled down so D laid in his lap once again and looked down at him. D looked up at him with eyes half open.

"I guess it took more out of me than I thought it would."

"I another potion."

"It won't work. Not now that I have changed back."

"Oh. D, what are you?"

"I will tell you later but don't call me d anymore."

"Then what do I call you?"

"My real name."

"What is that?"

"Orin."

Unconscious….

"Well, now what Link?"

"We have to get him out of here obviously."

"Where are we going to take him?"

Kokiri forest? No they only allow him to stay there so that's out…. The castle? No then Naboroo will find out and try to kill him… Need somewhere safe… Somewhere quiet…. Somewhere epona can rest…. Aha!

"Lon Lon ranch! We can take him there. Malon can help take care of him and she always has good food and Epona can rest there."

"Yeah that would work!."

"Okay, Nav, go tell Malon were coming. I'll meet you there okay?"

"okay."

Navi flew out through one of the many cracks as Link gathered up his bag and pulled out his ocarina. He picked up Orin and leaned him against his chest so he could play the Serenade of Water. Once they were teleported out he called Epona and had her kneel so he could get on her easier with his extra passenger. Epona looked back at him with a questioning look on her face.

"It's all right Epona. This is D."

She looked even more puzzled.

"I'll explain it too you later."

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Sorry for taking so long, my USB memory thing broke so I had to have my uncle temporarily fix it so I could get my stuff off. And I didn't want to update until I got a new one but since it is taking so long I decided to at least continue this one. I have two others I am working on but haven't gotten to them yet. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Later.


	3. the letter

This is a revised edition of the last chapter I wrote. I thought that what I added would add to why Epona was so different and I wanted to add a secondary romance into it. So here ya go.

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Link held tight to Orin as Epona jumped over the fences that led to lake Hylia. He held tight around the waist to avoid hurting his wings. The air had gotten colder since they had left the lake and the sky had gotten darker with claps of thunder and streaks of lightning ripping through the sky. The storm was close and they most likely wouldn't make it too the ranch with out getting soaked unless they picked up the pace.

In his arms Orin was shaking and losing body heat. The loss of blood was taking it's toll and if they got caught tin the cold autumn rain there would be no doubt he would get sick or worse. He kicked epona in the sides to hurry her up as the ranch came within site. They were almost there. They were gonna make it.

But then eh spoke too soon. A light drop of rain landed on his nose then a second and third landed on Orin's cheek and eyelid causing him to stir as the drops of rain steadily became a torrential downpour. Damn!

And just as it started to soak in the feeling of rain on his skin stopped and a shadow loomed over him. He looked up too see one of Orin's massive wings stretched out over his head sheltering both him and Orin from the rain. Link looked down to see Orin's eyes half open, a slight daze in them.

"Couldn't let you get soaked on my behalf."

"Thanks. Are you feeling better?"

"A little but I'm so...tired."

"we will get there soon. Hang in there."

"I'll...try."

Link stopped Epona under the tree just in front of The Ranch to fend off some of the rain. It was late and the newly finished gate was closed. The gate was short enough for her too jump but they couldn't risk it with Orin in his condition.

"Malon! Malon! Open the gate!"

A crack of thunder sounded drowning out his voice. He called again and agai but still no answer. He knew they were home Talon'd light was on but they couldn't here him over the storm. The wind whipped at his cloak as bitter and as harsh as a stalfo's sword. The rain was soaking both him and Orin through to the bone even underneath the vast oak tree.

The wing that had been shielding him form the cold rain slowly lowered and fell limp at Orin's side drawing Link's attention back to him. His skin had become bitter cold and pale as death. Orin's eyes were only half open and his breath was slowing.

In pure desperation he pulled out his bow and shot an arrow at Malon's window. It hit the woos with a heavy thunk, shortly followed by a lantern turning on. Soon the window opened and Malon's sleepy head poked out the window.

"Link? What are you doing out there?"

"Open the gate Malon I need your help!"

"What's wrong? Who's that with you?"

"He's a friend of mine. He is seriously hurt and sick please open the gate!"

"All right. I'm coming."

"Please hurry!"

"Link...I can't..."

He looked down to see Orin's eyes slowly close.

"Orin, stay awake! Orin!"

He was unconscious again and his hand fell limp at his side. Link felt his pulse. It was still there but barely.

"Malon Hurry!"

Just then the gates swung open and he raced Epona into the ranch and straight into the stables. Malon met him inside as he climbed out of the saddle. He held Orin in his arms as Malon came into view and looked at him.

"By the goddesses what happened?"

"I will explain later but we have to get him inside."

"Okay, we will use the room you rent out sometimes. It's warm and has it's own fireplace. Here give him to me. I'll take care of him. You go and get warm."

"Will he be all right?"

"He will be fine. Otherwise he would be dead all ready."

"Thank you Malon."

"What are friends for?"

Link paced back in forth in front of the living room fireplace. the spare clothes he had been given replaced the wet ones that hung over the hearth. Navi was sitting on a side table watching link pace, the constant nervous movement starting to get on her nerves.

"Link, would you sit down? He's gonna be fine."

"I can't help it. Old habit."

The door above creaked open making Link stop in hi tracks and stub his bare toe against the fire poker. He swore at the now throbbing pain in his big toe. Navi laughed and Link stuck his tongue out at her, evidence of his waning childlike mind.

"All right, Link, you can go in and see him now. I see what you mean by not being from this world. No creature in Hylia has wings that are that size. But with being your friend it doesn't come as shock to me. He's asleep right now so your gonna have to be quiet."

"Thanks." He ran to her picking her up in a bear hug. "Your the best."

"No problem." Malon said as she patted Link's shoulder. "Besides he's really cute."

"Malon!"

"Just because I'm a tom boy doesn't mean I won't comment on a guy's looks. I will bring you up some food in the morning, okay?"

"Yeah...Malon?"

"Hmmm?"

"what happened to your boyfriend? Ummm...Topaz?"

"He turned out to be the town Casanova and a complete jerk."

"Oh, want me to be the big brother figure and beat some sense into him?"

"Nope, Epona beat you to that one. she kicked him right in the face when he tried to force me into sleeping with him."

Link smiled, "That's Epona for you. She isn't dumb and she is very protective of you."

"I know, just like you are. You go in and look after you friend. You can tell me the story in the morning. Night Link."

"Night Malon."

Link slowly walked into the room where Orin slept and gently closed the door behind him. He found a seat next to the bed that Malon had obviously put there. He sat in the chair and rested his head on his arms on the side of the bed. The small lantern played upon the sleeping face of Orin casting it in shadows that made him resemble a sleeping angel. He smiled as eh gently tucked a few stray strands of hair behind one of Orin's pointed ears without realizing it. He was just happy to see his friend again.

Link just sat there watching him sleep for the longest time. He watched when his face would change from whatever he was dreaming about and he would listen to his quiet breathing. It was still hard to except that this beautiful creature, yes he just called his best friend beautiful and truthfully he didn't care, was once an almost exact copy of him. He could only imagine the pain he must have gone through. But now wasn't the time to worry. Everything was back to what it should be and right now all was right in the world.

It didn't take long before the quiet atmosphere made him drowsy and even less time for him to fall asleep. Malon stood in the doorway as Link fell asleep. Once she was sure he was staying asleep she walked quietly over to him, with a blanket draped over her arm. She kneeled next to link and smiled. On Link's sleeping face was a genuine smile. She hadn't seen one on his face since he was young and she knew why he smiled. She gently draped the blanket across his shoulders then leaned in to whisper in Orin's ear.

"You don't know how much I am glad you are alive. Thank you for giving some of Links happiness back."

"Your Welcome."

She looked down to see Orin's midnight blue eyes looking back up at her with a small smile on his face. Malon just smiled back as he closed his eyes again and fell asleep. She began to walk out towards the door and as she closed the door she sighed. _I just hope Link never loses him again._

Orin stood looking out over a vast ocean. Behind him stood a jagged mountain filled with misery and suffering. Just before him, playing on the beach, was a young boy in a green tunic and tan leggings waving at him. He smiled knowing who the boy was. The boy ran to him slowly growing older as eh got closer. When the boy got to him he was no longer a boy but his best friend Link. Link jumped in the air with arms outstretched and slammed into Orin his arms wrapping around his neck. Orin hugged him back as he spun around laughing.

Orin came out of sleep smiling. It had been years since he had a dream like that one. All he had had before were nightmares. It was a welcome relief.

The first thing his eyes fell upon was the sleeping form of his friend. The sun was up for the light shown through the window casting a mystical glow onto link. The glow made him seem so innocent and cute he couldn't help but stare at him. This warrior had once saved the world, seeing horrors that most would never see and yet when he slept he looked so much like a child. It had always amazed him how it turned out that way.

But he also knew he was hungry, along with he knew his body wouldn't be able to take every much movement right now since his back was still healing. And since Link was right there, even though he hated to wake him, he had too.

"Link. Wake up."

"Just five more minutes navi…."

Orin chuckled as he slowly moved his arm and pushed down on links nose.

"Wake up."

"Huh? Wha?"

Links eyes slowly opened. He could tell he had been there all night and the knowledge was comforting. But as he looked into those light blue eyes he noticed something. The light that had always been in them was gone. His eyes had dulled and they looked incredibly sad. What had happened to his once cheery friend while he was gone?

He would not pry though. He knew how Link hated that. He would tell him when he wished too.

"Morning."

"Hey your awake! How are you feeling?"

"A bit better. Back still has to heal so I can't stand yet."

"Oh. Hey you hungry? I can go tell Malon and she can make us some food."

"All ready been done. I also brought in some clothes for you. They are my dad's so they may be a bit baggy but your height should make up for it."

They both looked up to see Malon carrying two trays of food, a black tunic and a tan pair of leggings, through the door. Link offered to help but she refused and by herself she laid them down on a small table next to the bed. A chilly wind came through the window causing Orin and Link to pull their blankets around them tighter.

"How are you feeling Orin?" Malon asked as she pulled up a chair from the corner.

"Better. I appreciate your hospitality. Not very many people welcome my prescience."

"A friend of link is a friend of mine, so don't worry about it. I have to do this for Link all the time. You too eat up. I have to make my rounds."

"You want m to help?"

"Naaa, you are in charge of looking after Orin. I will be fine. If I need anything I will tell you."

Malon walked out and closed the door. Just outside they could here Talon asking how they were and being worried. Orin smiled. It had been a very long time since someone worried about him. Even they had no reason to worry it was still a nice sentiment.

Link started chowing down on his food while Orin tried to reach for his, but when his hand only got inches away his arm spasemed with pain and his hand dropped. His back had not healed enough for him to do any long reach motion. He needed the food but he just couldn't reach it. Let alone sit up. He hated to ask but he needed the food.

"Link..."

"Hmmm?"

"I can't get my food. I also can't move."

"Huh? Oh! One sec let me finish my potatoes."

He scarfed down what was left of his meal then put the plate down. He picked up Orin's food and sat it in his lap, scooped up some potatoes on a spoon and held it out in front of his face. Orin took the spoon and shoved it in his mouth, then gave it back. Link could see how weak his body was and knew that it was still healing from his wings growing back out. He had no problems tending to his friend. He was the only one Orin trusted to tend to him anyway.

"Mmmm! Who cooked this? It's delicious!"

"Malon did."

"She is a wonderful cook. That girl will make someone a very happy man one day."

"I hope so. How's your back?"

"pheeling..."

"huh?"

Orin swallowed the piece of bread he had been chewing on. "It's healing...but I can't move to well."

"Ahhh. that's why I have to feed you." How long will it be before you will be able to move?"

"I don't know. You would have to look."

"Okay. If I hurt you, you can hit me."

"That won't be an issue."

Link put the now empty plate on the small table then stood. He took the blanket and slowly pulled it back revealing Orin's almost fully healed back. A couple spots where the skin hadn't joined yet plus a couple bruises were all he could see. and even as he studied his back he could see it healing. Orin was definitely not a Hylian.

"So, how does it look?"

"I've seen worse. There's a few cuts and bruises but other than that you're fine."

"Then it shouldn't be long. I should be able to walk and be mobile by noon."

"Good. Then me and you can go horse riding. Maybe have a race!"

"That sounds fun."

Link smiled and his eyes lit up for the briefest of moments at the thought of having a horse race. Orin wanted to see those eyes light up again. He couldn't wait to race him... but then the thought of a horse race reminded of his own horse. He dearly missed his old friend.

"Hey, are you okay? You looked depressed all of a sudden."

"It's just...I had a horse once but I lost him when Gannon took me. We were like you an Epona, never separated."

"Link! Link! I need your help! Epona is going nuts! I can't calm her down!"

Link threw off the blanket that had been around his shoulders and hurriedly tucked Orin back in. Something had to be wrong if Epona was going crazy.

"You gonna be okay by yourself right?"

"I'll be fine don't worry. go."

Link ran through the door and down the steps. He jumped over the chairs and table before he got to the door and ran out. He sped across the ground not stopping until he reached the stable where Epona was rearing up. The look in her eyes was that of desperation, like there was something she had to do or she knew something. He ran up to Malon who was futeily holding onto her reigns trying to calm her down. When she was like this only he could clam her, not to mention hold her.

"Move Malon!"

he grabbed onto the reigns and pulled her down. He wrapped his arms around her neck, holding her still until she stopped bucking. when she slowed and finally stopped Link gently rubbed her neck too calm her.

"It's okay Epona. Shhhh. Your okay."

Epona finally calmed and looked Link in the face. He looked into her eyes to see what was wrong. That connection he had with her told him that she needed to go somewhere. She knew someone that needed help and only she could help them. he smiled and patted her nose as she pleaded with him using her eyes.

"All right Epona. I understand. Just come back safe okay?"

Epona whinnied happily and licked his face as he took off her saddle and reigns. He motioned for her to open the stable door as he hugged her neck .

"I will see you later."

When he let go she took off through the door and out into Hyrule field. Link ran outside just in time to see her fly over the fence and out of sight. After watching her run off Malon and Link began too take care of the rest of the horses. The whole time wondering what it was the Epona had to do.

Epona sailed across the field in search for the mournful call only her species could here. Her kind were not seen very often anymore and hearing one of her own in such pain made her need to help. She couldn't let one of her own suffer when she could help.

There was one of her kind out there calling for a master they couldn't find. It was tired and weak as if they were to give up on life at any moment. She had to get to them before that happened. She was just thankful she had an understanding master that would allow her to do this.

She ran until she got to the river that ran in front of the kakariko village entrance and stopped. Across the bridge, in front of the stairs, laid a large black stallion. He was lying on his legs with his head lying on the grass. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep but Epona could see the depression in his form. A stallion as strong and beautiful as he was would never lay down like that in defeat unless something was wrong.

She galloped across the bridge and slowed to a stop right beside him. She bent her neck down close and could see tear trails on his face. She had seen this state before. He had lost his master. She had been just like this when link had disappeared for those seven long years.

She nudged him with her snout and he opened his eyes. They were weary and lonesome. He did not raise his head but continued to look at her. He was sad and heart broken. She could easily see it. He had a master that was as close to him as Link and her were. She nuzzled his neck and licked his face but he continued to do nothing. He thought she was a horse. So She spoke to him in through the mental connection all of her kind had.

"Are you lost?"

He looked up at her and raised his head this time.

"You can speak to me?"

"Yes. I heard your call."

"I never thought I would find my kind here. But even that won't alleviate my sadness. I came here to find my lost master but he does not answer me. I call and call but…there is nothing. I fear he is dead."

His head bowed in sadness as tears began to form in his eyes. When he began to cry, Epona laid next to him and nuzzled his neck again.

"Do not cry. I have seen many people in this land. Tell me what he looks like and maybe I can help."

"You would help me?"

"Yes, you're the only one of my kind I have found here and I am kind hearted by nature anyway. I hate seeing my own people sad."

"I have traveled long and hard across this foreign land and I have yet to find my master. I doubt you will."

"So have I. Try me."

"He is tall as a stallion, with hair as black as night, and skin as white as snow."

Hmmm…. Black hair….Pale skin…. Who did she know that had that…. Wait! Epona knew someone who fit that exact description. And he wasn't that far away. It wouldn't hurt to see and she had heard link tell Malon something about him losing a horse…. She stood up and grabbed onto the reigns that were attached to his neck.

"I believe I know someone who looks like that."

"You do?"

"Yep! Come with me and I will take you to him. And even if you don't find him, you will have a warm stable and some of the best hay around!"

She gently tugged on his reigns in the direction of the ranch, coaxing him up. It was when he stood she saw that not only was he depressed but he was starving. His ribs stuck out and his legs were a wee bit wobbly. Poor guy hadn't looked like he ate in days.

"How long has it been since you ate?"

"Almost a week."

"Yipes! Well you will be well taken care of at the ranch. I will go slow so you can keep up."

She began leading him across the bridge and towards the ranch with his reigns in her mouth. Every so often looking back to make sure he was okay.

"What is your name?" Epona asked.

"Adin."

"Cool name. Mine's Epona."

Just after noon he heard her familiar whiney just outside the gate as he walked one of the new colts around the pasture. He looked up to see her just behind the gate with a worried expression in her eyes. There was something black, that looked like a long piece of leather, hanging from her mouth and reaching behind her. She wasn't jumping over the fence like she usually did. Something was wrong.

"Hey Malon, could you take little shadow back to his mother. Epona is back and I have to go see what's up."

"No problem."

After handing the little colt over to Malon he raced over to Epona and opened the gate. He laid his hand on her muzzle as she slowly approached. He quickly gave her a once over and found she was not harmed but he could still sense her worry.

"what's wrong girl?"

Epona made a head gesture behind her with the reigns. Link looked behind her to see a large black stallion, head down and obviously either tired or depressed or both. The horse's mane was a bright silver blue with his eyes the same color. He was a beautiful horse. but he looked like he would collapse any minute.

"Malon come quick! Epona has brought someone home!"

Together , with Epona's help they led the larger horse into the stables, fed him, gave him water and let him rest. But once he was strong enough to go out with the other horses he still seemed sluggish. He stayed away from all the other horses out in the pasture except for Epona who stayed by him. And if any other horse besides her approached him he either ran in another direction or stomped the ground threateningly.

This horse had lost its owner. he had remembered Malon describing this behavior too him when Epona had lost him while he was in the temple of time. This horse suffered from heartbreak. Poor thing.

Link walked out to him and gently patted the horses head. he spoke to him when the horse looked at him.

"I know how you feel. Don't worry you will find friends here."

The horses eyes seemed to brighten a bit.

_Thank you, elf._

Link jumped when he heard the deep but sad voice in his mind. he looked around to figure out who it was when the stallion nudged him with his nose.

_Over here elf._

"You can speak!"

_I am not normal. Just like my former master..._

"What brings you here?"

_I am looking for my master. I call and call to him but he doesn't here me._

His ears drooped and his head lowered as he said it. Epona nuzzled her nose into his neck trying to comfort him. She was making friends with him. Link half wondered if she was the same as he was. She did seem to understand him when he spoke to her….

"Well, if we don't find him you can stay here."

_I appreciate that. But I shall not give up. He is near. I can sense him. I will call out to him again._

Orin stretched as he finished putting on the clothes Malon had left him. They fit him height wise but he had to use a piece of rope to wrap around his waist or the pants would have easily fallen off. He moved his wings a few times to check the muscles in his back and fully stretched them out to get the stiffness out of them. Once he was satisfied all was in order he closed his eyes and transformed his wings into a tattoo on his back. he then slipped on the shirt which was also baggy but it was big enough to suit his size and that was all that mattered. Just as he was adjusting the strings around his neck he heard a very familiar whiney form outside.

He froze and listened again to make sure he wasn't hearing things. He had overheard that Epona had brought another horse with her when she went out earlier that morning but he had thought nothing of it. Then he heard that same call and he ran to the window. Could it be? Was he here?

He looked out the window scanning the grounds and stopped when he saw a very familiar black coat and blue main and tail. Orin nearly jumped for joy. It is! He is here! With out an instants hesitation he whipped around and ran out the door, jumped down the steps and over the chairs and bolted out the door into the pasture. He flew past Malon as he jumped up over the gate like he could fly and into the pasture in his haste to see his friend.

"Adin!"

The stallions head shot over in his direction and immediately took off, nearly knocking Link over. the horse charged at him as Orin ran head long in the same path jumping into the air about five feet away.

_Master! _

he wrapped his arms around the stallions neck and buried his face into the course hide of his horse. He welcomed the familiar feel of Adin's hide against his skin and his breath on his back. He could here Adin's happy whiney as he swung around still attached to him.

" Adin your alive! I thought Gannon had killed you!"

Adin happily licked his face as he put Orin back on the ground. Orin laughed and stroked his nose as he looked at his old friend. Adin nuzzled his neck affectionately as Orin ran his fingers through his long mane.

"_He tried but I got away. I stayed close by until he sent you through that portal. I followed you through it but It led me somewhere else. I have been looking for you ever since."_

"How did you get here?"

"_That gentle and kind mare over there. She found me lying in the field half starved and led me here. I couldn't help but follow her luxurious white main and--"_

"Adin!"

Orin began to laugh. It was a deep resonating sound that made link almost swoon when hearing it. He shook his head. _What is wrong with me? Get a grip! _Epona nudged Link's arm and when he looked up at her she was looking at him with her head cocked to the side and a mischievous look in her eye. The look she had in her eyes made her seem like she was singing, Link and Orin sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Link just stuck his tongue out then walked over to Orin.

"So he is yours?"

"Yes!" Orin said with a grin on his face. It was that bright and cheery grin that became instantly contagious. He looked like a kid at Christmas.

"what were you laughing about?"

"Oh it's Adin over here has a crush on Epona."

Link chuckled as the horse huffed and stuck it's tongue out.

_I didn't say I had a crush on her I just said she was beautiful._

They both laughed as the horse actually blushed and stuck out it's tongue again. After Orin whipped the tears from his eyes he looked to the sun. It was gonna be twilight soon. He smiled. It would be the perfect time for a ride. It would be the perfect time to see Link riding Epona with those legs….. He then kicked himself. Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts! He needed to get out and clear his head.

"Hey link, you still up for that race?"

"Yeah, is Adin?"

_I'm always ready for a friendly competition._

"Guess you have your answer."

"Lets go then."

They mounted there horses and took off out into the Hyrule field. The rest of the evening they raced and chased each other on their horses, jumping over fences and boulders. When the sun went down they headed back only to be met by a familiar armed horse waiting just inside the gate. Orin froze and sank back behind Link as they entered the ranch. Link noticed it and whispered to Orin.

"Hey Orin, what's up?"

"Hyrule soldiers." He hissed.

"Hey, don't worry. They won't know who you are. Trust me. Just tell them your name. You won't be lying because it is your name. They don't have to know who you once were."

"I know but still. It is a hard habit to break."

"I hear that."

They slowly made their way into the ranch and dismounted as they came up to Malon as she talked to one of the soldiers. There were two and they were the royal guard, messengers and protectors of the Queen.

"Malon, what's up?"

"Oh link! There you are! The soldiers are here for you."

Link walked up with Orin right behind him. Orin stood next to link but kept a tight hold on his horses mane. Link looked back at him and saw that he was ready to bolt any second. He nodded to him, who then relaxed.

"What do you want?"

"The smaller of the two tentatively walked up to him and handed him a letter with the royal seal on it.

"Her Majesty wished us to give this to you. She seeks and audience with you and someone named Dark Link. We assume you know who this person is."  
"I do. I will inform him."

"Hey Malon? Is tall dark and handsome over there your new boyfriend?"

Link looked up at the other larger soldier who was looking back at Orin. He looked back at Orin and found he was glaring daggers at the other soldier. Link wondered why until he caught the larger soldier winking and smirking at him. He may be naïve but he knew when someone was shamelessly flirting with someone.

"No, Lance, he isn't. He is a friend of Link's."

"Ahh well in that case…."

The soldier walked over to him and put his hand suggestively on Orin's arm. He visibly twitched and backed away but the soldier followed while taking off his helmet. Brown eyes stared lustfully at him behind fire red hair. Orin's glare turned into a look that could kill. He hated being touched by his kind. He knew what that man was thinking. He could smell the unhindered lust so strongly he could have almost gagged. It was not the sweet smell that came out of love.

"Can I have him?"

The soldier was getting too close for comfort as he leaned in and grabbed him by the waist. His hand turned into a fist as the soldiers other hand reached fro his backside. He glanced over at Link who had the same look of I'm going to kill you on his face.

While link on the other hand was about ready to rip the guy to shreds. He shouldn't be touching him like that. He didn't want that guy touching him like that. He wasn't worthy of him. Not even close. Link stepped forward ready to tear the guys arms off if he continued.

"Let me go…." Orin warned.

"Leave him alone! Get your hands off him!"

"Oh is he yours then? I didn't know."

Links face turned red. "No, he isn't mine."

"Then there should be no problems then."

Orin began to growl as that wandering hand hit its target.

"I won't be yours either!"

Orin punched him in the face then round house kicked him to the ground. The Soldier got back up and charged at him only to be clothes lined by his waiting arm and having a bare foot put into his throat. Link's eyes widened. Orin was fast! The soldier never saw it coming! Idiot!

"Go Orin!"

The smaller soldier started to laugh as he looked at his companion down on the ground.

"You moron! I told you your raging hormones will get you into trouble. We have stayed long enough. Let's go."

The soldier grumbled as he got up and turned to Orin. " I will get you one day."

"It would be more me getting you." Orin walked up to him and stopped about five inches from his face and grabbed the man's chin. He smiled a mischievous but evil smirk as he spoke in a low taunting whisper.

"I never let anyone have me. It is I who have them."

He then backed away and let the two soldiers past. He looked over at Link who had a confused look on his face. It was utterly adorable, especially with his mouth hanging open like that. He walked over to him and waved his hand in front of links face.

"Any one in there?"

Nothing…

"You starting to drool."

"huh? Wha? Oh!"

Malon was giggling.

"What was that about? First you knock him down then flirt with him?"

"I was not flirting with him. It was a warning. Anyway what does the letter say?"

"Oh, well let's see."

Link broke the seal and opened the letter as Orin looked over his shoulder. The feel of Orin's breath on his neck was making him tremble but he chose to ignore it.

_Link,_

_I wish to see you and meet Dark Link. I am sure you either know where he is or he is with you. I want to know what happened and wish to speak with you about a troubling matter that the both of you may be able to help me with. Come tomorrow around noon in the courtyard. I will be waiting._

_Zelda._

"Well it looks like we have somewhere to go tomorrow. Who is this Zelda?"

"She is the queen. Though during the war and my quests she was still just a princess."

"Does she happen to have blonde hair, blue eyes and a lot of magical power, including that of prophesy?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I saw her in Gannon's castle just before you entered and he beat me. She kept me from being killed. I guess I owe her a favor."

"Oh. Well you will get to see her tomorrow. We should get some sleep. We have along day ahead of us."

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Here ya go. I was gonna add more but it was getting a little long as it is. So here ya go. Next Orin meets Zelda and maybe some fighting….. Not sure yet. Well enjoy later.


	4. the princess

"Link…Link wake up."

Orin gently shook his slumbering friend. He had gotten up an hour ago to get ready leaving link to sleep. Now all he had to do was get him up so they could head out for the castle. And since he obviously has seen nothing but the lake, water temple and the inside of Gannon's former castle he needed link to show him how to get there. Not to mention that the letter required both of them to be there.

"Mido can get someone else to pull his grass…"Link mumbled.

Orin sighed. Navi was right. He was not a morning person.

"Link get up!"

Link shot upright.

"I didn't steal the Deku nut, Saria, I swear!"

Orin couldn't help but laugh. He shook his head and patted Link's shoulder still chuckling. Link stopped looking around like a scared rabbit when he heard Orin's amused sound.

"I am not Saria Link."

"Huh? Oh… Must have been a dream." Link yawned, "Is it time too go?"

"Just waiting on you."

"Mmkay."

Link threw off the covers revealing he had slept in his clothes the night before so all he had to do was slip on his boots. He stretched and rubbed his eyes as Orin moved and leaned against the wall waiting for him. As link grabbed his left boot he poked Navi to wake her as she was sleeping on the nearby nightstand.

"Who is she?"

"Hmmm?"

"Saria? Who is she?"

"Oh! She is an old friend of mine." Link spoke as he pulled on his other boot," She is a Kokiri."

"What is a Kokiri?"

"Kokiri are a race of child sized people. They look just like children all of their lives and never grow up. At least physically anyway."

"Oh."

"Maybe after we see Zelda you can meet her."

"I would like that."

Link stood and stretched again eyeing Orin in the corner. He wore the same form fitting black tunic and tan trousers from the day before, plus he now sported a pair of dark leather boots. His hair was tied back in a low ponytail so you could see his small pointed ears. He looked so much better than from the day before. Though, there was one thing missing. Those massive black appendages that had been sprouting out of his back weren't there.

"Hey, Orin?"

"Hmmm?"

"Where are your wings?"

"My wings? Oh!"

Orin turned around and pulled the shirt slightly off his shoulder so it exposed some sort of tribal markings on his back.

"See those?"

"Yeah."

"Those are my wings. I can't walk around in public with wings now can I?"

"No, I guess not. Well. Let's get going. Trust me you don't want to keep her waiting."

Link walked over to Orin with Navi following behind him still too sleepy to speak. Orin pushed himself off the wall and they walked down they stairs to say goodbye to Malon.

"Speaking from personal experience?" Orin asked.

"Let's just say I couldn't sit down for a weak after she got her point across."

"Oh. I will take your word for it."

Link grabbed his cloak as they went out the door grabbing some bread to eat and waved goodbye to talon. Link walked over to the stables as Orin collected Adin from the pasture. Adin looked up when Orin entered and galloped over to him. He stopped in front of him and licked his face. Orin chuckled and rubbed his snout.

_Morning master._

"Good morning Adin. Ready to travel?"

_Always. Where are we going?_

"To see the princess. So you have to behave."

_Understood. I will be on my best behavior._

"You better."

"Orin?"

He turned around to see Malon behind him with a bundle of dark cloth in her hands.

"Yes?"

"Here." She handed the bundle of cloth to him, "This is a cloak I had made for my dad but it was too long fro his height. He kept tripping over it. And since you don't have one you would need it more than him."

Orin took the cloak from her and unfolded it. It was just like links only black. He smiled as he slipped it over his shoulders and adjusted it around his neck. It was a little big in the width area but it was long enough to cover him. The material was a bit rough but it was expected from a ranch. It was better than some of the things he had been forced to wear so he was happy with it. It would keep him warm and that was all that mattered.

"Thank you Malon. You have already done far too much."

"It's all right. All I want in return is that you take good care of link for me."

"I can do that."

"Hey Orin, need a saddle?" Link asked from behind him, holding Epona's reigns.

"No. Adin hates them and I prefer to ride bareback. It gives me a better feeling of being one with Adin when I ride."

"Oh, okay. Well Malon we have to get going."

"Do you have everything?"

Orin watched as he rechecked his bag on his back and the saddlebags on Epona. He checked all his weapons and the pack on his back before he gave the okay that he had everything.

"Here is some Lon Lon Milk for your journey. Don't worry about paying me back it's on the house."

"Thanks! Well we really gotta get going or Zelda will get mad."

"We don't want that now do we? You two be careful."

"We will. Lets get going Orin."

"Lead the way Hero."

The two of them tore out of Lon Lon ranch and into Hyrule field, soaring over the grassy plain on their way to the castle. They laughed the entire way as they raced across it A playful smirk initiated a race as soon as they saw the castle town in the distance. Both riders kicked their horses into full gallop as they sped toward the bridges, their cloaks snapping back and forth in the breeze as they rode.

Link was just about to the bridge, the finishing line for their race when he heard a loud whiney and saw a large shadow loom over him. He looked up just to see the underside of Adin as he sailed over both him and Epona to land on the bridge before them. Link stopped dead as Orin turned around, pumping his fist into the air in a sign of victory. Link didn't care that he had lost; his mind was focused on the impossibility of that move.

"How did you do that?"

Orin grinned like a Cheshire cat as he spoke. "Orin isn't a normal horse."

Link rode Epona up next to him as Orin dismounted and followed suit since horses were not allowed in castle town.

"What do you mean?"

"He's a Pegasus."

"What's a Pegasus?"

"A horse with wings. That can fly. I'm surprised you don't know since your riding one."

"What? Epona? How do you know that?"

Link rested the reigns on Epona's neck as Orin whispered something into Adin's ear causing him to walk off on his own.

"Adin would have never followed her otherwise and only a Pegasus can understand normal speak. The only thing with your horse is she has never learned how to use her wings. That can be remedied though."

"How?"

"Orin can teach her. He already knows how to fly. Then you can get around a lot faster than you have been."

"Oh."

Link began walking into the market place, Orin close behind as he headed for the castle. He was stunned. Epona was a Pegasus…. Well he always noticed how she seemed to know exactly what he told her. Huh, who knew?

Link walked up to the gates of the castle where the guards let him in without a problem. They knew him now and knew that the princess trusted him. Link looked up at the castle and sighed. The last time he had seen the castle and had actually stopped to look at it Gannon's monstrous tower stood there. He shivered at the memory. Goddesses he hated that place.

"Hey, Orin you know the first time I was here I had to sneak in…. Orin?"

Orin had stopped just past the gate when he saw the palace that stood before him. For a moment his mind fabricated the visage of the once black tower that he had been held captive in for those long painful years. His breathing began to labor and his heart rate sped up as fear began to seep into his being. He almost bolted back the way they had come until he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder. He jumped at the feeling making the one who had touched him yelp. He looked to see Link looking at him, his faced etched in worry.

"Are you all right Orin?"

Orin shook his head of the memories and looked back up to what actually stood before him. The castle was no longer black but white and stood tall and bright, a symbol of hope for a recovering world. The beautiful sight helped to push the memories back. He had to remind himself that Gannon was gone. He need not worry anymore.

"I'm all right. Bad memories that's all."

"You were kept in there weren't you?"

"Yes."

"You sure you want to come? I can tell Zelda you weren't feeling well."

"No. It's all right. I will be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure. What were you talking about before?"

"Oh! I said the first time I was here I had to sneak in."

"Oh really?"

Orin followed Link as he spoke of all his adventures when he was a kid. He had quite the active life when he was ten. HE was amazed at what the kid had been able to do at that age. He was a regular hero before he even hit puberty. It was when Link told him of when he pulled the master sword out Orin understood why his eyes had always looked like those of a child.

"You slept for seven years? SO you were seventeen when you awoke."

"Only physically. Trust me I am still figuring out what my fully-grown body is capable of. Among other things I still am confused by."

"I would imagine. If you have any questions you can always ask me. Since I did go through puberty, and can remember what it was like."

"Link!"

The pair had been so engrossed I their conversation they hadn't even realized that they were already in the courtyard. Orin turned to see a familiar face in a beautiful blue dress running up to link and enveloping him in a bear hug. Orin watched as Link's face began to turn blue from the force of the gesture.

"Zelda…. can't…breathe!"

"Oh! Sorry Link!"

Link gasped for air and coughed as soon as she let go.

"It's all right Zelda." Link said smiling.

Orin chuckled at the overzealous princess. It was refreshing to see a princess so willing to show her emotions. Obviously the two of them were friends. This must have been what she was like before everything went to hell. He looked up to see the Princess staring at him. His slight chuckle had caught her attention and alerted him to his presence. She was studying him. He stared back at her wondering what she was doing when a relieved smile came across her face.

"Link? Who is you friend?"

"Oh! This is the former Dark Link. Orin is his real name."

Orin bowed politely. "It has been a while princess."

"I'm glad you're all right. So that's what he used you for."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the totally confused and lost look on link's face.

"You two know each other?"

"Yes. She was in the castle with me before Gannon changed me."

"But how? She was sheik when I was traveling the temples."

"I had been captured for the period of about a year. I had tried to sabotage Gannon's works but had been caught."

"She had been locked in a cell with me, Gannon thinking I would kill her."

"But instead he used what will he had left to help me escape."

"It took about a year before we were able to carry out the plan but in the meantime she often kept me from going insane and kept telling me of the hero of time and such things."

"I guess I kept him alive in a way. There is one thing I have been wondering. How was he able to change you into link?"

"AS you already know princess I am not form here. My body is more serpentine like than human so my body can easily change if I so wish. Though losing about six inches off my height did hurt a bit."

"I would imagine."

"So what did you want Zelda?"

"Oh yes, that! We need your help. The Goron's have sent a message saying that they have found eggs from the dragon that Link had killed. Two out of five had hatched and the rest look to hatch soon. The Goron's plan on raising them so they will protect the mountain but they are having problems."

"The babies not cooperating?"

"No. There is a large Dragon that is trying to kill them. The Goron's says it feeds off them and they are having a hard time killing the beast."

"I have heard of such a dragon. Did the Goron's mention the color of the dragon in that message?"

"No."

"So you wish us kill this dragon?"

"If you can't kill it at least drive it away. Those babies can become great assets to Hyrule."

"All right. I will help. Link?"

"No problem."

"Thanks you two."

"Our pleasure princess. "

"Princess Zelda! We need your help! You need to pick out the entertainment!"

"One minute!"

They both looked at her with eyebrows raised. She blushed and smiled meekly.

"Bridal reception. I'm getting married soon."

"Congratulations princess."

"Thanks Orin. You're both invited so I hope you will come."

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Me either."

"Be careful you too."

"Princess Zelda!"

"Coming! It was nice to see you again Orin. Keep Link out of trouble fro me."

"Hey!" Link stuck his tongue out.

"I will. You better go."

"Right. Bye."

Orin watched as she ran off into the castle. He smiled glad that she was finally happy. She needed to be happy after everything that happened to her. It was a relief to see it. Orin turned around grabbing links shoulder ushering him along, dragging him away from staring at the flower sin the courtyard.

"Let's go. We have a dragon to kill."

"Orin?"

"Hmm?"

"This dragon has to be pretty powerful if even the Goron's are having trouble with it. You sure you want to tag along?"

"I'll be fine Link. And if this is the dragon I think it is, I will be the only one who knows how to destroy it."

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It's a short chapter I know but the next chapter will contain a fight. Promise.


	5. the tempermental moutain

They walked back out to the Hyrule field both their horses out of site. Link reached into his pack and pulled out his Ocarina and put it too his lips. Orin noticed that the Ocarina he used was green not blue. Last time he has used a bright blue one….

"Hey Link, what happened to the blue one you had?"

"The Ocarina of time?"

"Yeah."

"I gave it back to Zelda. I didn't need nor want it anymore. This one Saria gave me before I left the forest. It is not fitted with as powerful magic but it works."

Epona's song flitted about in the air quickly followed by a happy whiney from off too the north east. Not too long after it Epona came running over the hills. Stopping right in front of Link.

"Good girl. Hope we didn't take too long."

"Nice trick."

"Thanks. So where's Adin?"

"Hunting probably…."

"Hunting?"

"He is a carnivorous horse."

"What does he eat?"

"Birds….rats…small mammals…stuff like that."

"Oh. Your not carnivorous are you Epona?"

She shook her head viciously.

"Don't worry. It's only the black ones that eat meat. So…where are we going?"

"See that mountain off in the distance?"

Orin followed Links finger to where a large and fiery mountain stood. He could see the smoke coming from it and the red glow of lava rocks along the edges.

"The volcano?"

"Yep. That's where we are going. The temple where the dragons lived is in it."

"So….were going in the middle of a volcano….that's looks like it still may be active…to save dragon younglings? Normal hero stuff I suppose. So, who lives up there?"

"It's where the Goron's live. They are rock people…." yawned Navi as she dazedly hung next to link's head.

"Ah. That would explain it. Good thing my kind can stand extreme heat."

"Don't worry, the mountain hasn't been active since the old dragon died. We will be fine."

Link then noticed Navi as she started to slowly drop to the ground. He had to catch her to make sure she didn't.

"You all right Navi? You look real tired."

"I had a bad night. I kept having this feeling like something was off. Like there was something majorly bad that was gonna happen and I couldn't sleep."

"Poor Navi. Why don't you take a nap on my head like normal while we ride to Death Mountain."

"Okay."

Orin watched as Navi snuggled down into Link's hair until she disappeared. So that's where she hid. Cute. He then looked back at the so called Death Mountain and shook his head. That name was an understatement.

But as he looked at it he felt a familiar presence. It was attached to a black figure flying near the mountain in a circular pattern. It looked to have wings but he wasn't quite sure. whatever it was, was old and very powerful. It was also in pain by the way it lazily flew. That figure looked familiar. He had seen that particular black dot somewhere before…..

"Speaking of rides don't you need to call Adin?"

Orin didn't hear him, too intent on the thing in the sky.

"Orin did you hear me?"

Link waited fro a reaction for a few seconds until he noticed the concentrated gaze Orin had in his eyes. He followed his line of sight but couldn't see what he was looking at. All he could figure out was that it had something to do with the mountain. He tried to call again but no answer. So he walked up in front of him and waved his hands in front of Orin's face.

"Hey, Link to Orin, are you in there?"

"Huh?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine why?"

"You were staring at the mountain. Anything I should know about?"

"I thought I saw something, that's all."

"What?"

"I think it is what may be going after the dragon lings…..but I am not sure. It felt familiar."

"Well the faster we get there the faster we will find out."

"Yeah."

Orin started walking towards the mountain and away from the bridge but stopped short of the path. He pinched his thumb, pointer and middle fingers together and rested them on his forehead with his eyes closed.

"what are you doing?"

"Calling Adin."

"Oh."

Right after he put his hand down Adin came flying over a nearby hill, gliding low to the ground. His wings were spread wide as he floated in for a landing, stopping only a foot short of running Orin over. Link stared at the wings as they slowly folded and disappeared back into the horses hide. He then looked at Epona who seemed to be looking longingly at Adin.

"You want to be able to fly too don't ya girl?"

Epona nodded.

And almost as if sensing it Orin replied as he mounted Adin

"Since I am pretty sure we cannot bring the horses up Adin can teach her while we are in Death Mountain."

"He would do that?"

"He would be happy too right Adin?"

_More than happy._

Epona whinnied happily as Link got on.

"Well then the faster we get there the faster he can teach her. And the faster we can save the baby dragons."

"Well, said. Let's go. Lead the way."

They raced across Hyrule field as the noon day sun beat down on them. It was a relatively cool day so when they got closer to the old volcano they could feel the temperature rise. When they got into Kakariko They sent there horses off on their own and stopped long enough at a small weapon shop to get Orin a shield to protect him from the rocks that were likely to fall.

When they got up to the Path that lead to the mouth of the volcano Link swallowed hard. He remembered how treacherous this path was. He took a deep breath as he dropped his pack and began rummaging through it to find his red tunic. Once he found it he took of his cloak and began changing.

Orin, who had been studying a lava rock he had found, turned around just in time to see Link peel off his shirt. The lack of clothing revealed how nearly god like built his young friend was. The sun shown on his lightly tanned skin that stretched over taught muscles of a fighter. For a moment Orin had a hard time swallowing as Link turned enough to see the six pack abs that were obvious on his skin. He did also notice all the scars that adorned that perfect flesh of his, showing true the many near death experiences Link had to have had. And a few small circular scars that were reminders of Gannon's energy balls. By the Dragons he was beautiful….and thin and….wait a minute….

Link was much thinner than he had ever remembered. His collar bones stuck out more than usual and despite his muscled abdomen he could see almost every one of links lower ribs under his skin. His skin was very pale and sick like and seemed as if it had been deprived of nourishment for quite sometime. He knew that was link. He would have felt something off if it wasn't but still…. He had been a lot bigger the last time he had seen him. How did he get like that?

"Orin your staring off into space again."

"huh?"

Orin blinked and found Link had caught him. He had his eyebrow raised and a hand on one hip that held a red cloth in his hand.

"You see something interesting about me or something?"

"NO, well….I mean….Link are you all right?"

"I guess, why do you ask?"

Orin walked up too Link and ran his hands up his sides causing him to drop his shirt in shock. Heat began to make it's way into his cheeks as his hands seemed too explore every exposed rib and scar he had on his skin. It felt strange but really good having Orin's hands on his skin. They were warm and calloused making his legs seem to buckle from the touch. He had to grab onto Orin's shoulders to keep from falling. This new feeling confused Link, because he had never been this close to anyone and started to scare him. So in turn he pushed Orin away covering himself like he was naked.

"what are you doing?"

"What happened to you?"

Link could see the worried expression on his face. It caused him to look down to see why. He found his answer when he saw his ribs sticking out of his skin and his stomach sunken in. He hadn't realized how bad it had gotten. But he didn't need anyone worried for him. He quickly grabbed his tunic and shoved it over his head.

"What do you mean?"

"You look like a skeleton Link. Can't you get food?"

"I can get all the food I want."

"Then why are you so malnourished?"

"I'm fine Orin."

Orin didn't believe him. Who would? After seeing him in that condition. He had sensed something wrong but he hadn't imagined it would cause something like this. Why would link do this to himself? And Orin wouldn't let him go without a explanation.

As Link turned away to get his pack Orin grabbed onto his shoulder and turned him around. He grabbed him by the head so he couldn't get away or look away from him. Link grabbed onto his arms and tried to struggle free but they both knew the only way he would get out was if he broke his own neck.

"Orin let me go!"

"What is wrong Link? Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"I'm not doing anything! I'm fine now let me go!"

"No your not! Look at me, in the eyes, and tell me otherwise!"

When Link's eyes locked with his another forgotten power made itself known. In an instant he went through every cause of Link's debilitated state as if he lived it. every pain, every cry, every bout of sadness was his to feel. The memories faded but the feelings that had come with them remained. His closest friend was tormented by his fate.

When his eyes focus he saw tears rimming Link's eyes. His hands had moved from around his wrists to hang at his sides. Orin now felt very guilty for yelling at him and felt angry for what these goddesses put him through.

"I'm sorry link. I didn't mean to…"

"No Orin your right. Something is wrong with me."

"What is it?"

"It's something I just don't want to talk about right now. I just got used to not thinking about it, I can't handle bringing it up right now."

Orin sighed and rested his forehead against links. He felt Link relax into the simple gesture of comfort.

"I understand. Tell me in your own time. I plan on being around for a while."

"Thanks Orin."

"Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Eat. I would rather have you as big as Malon's father than as skinny as those stalfo monsters. At least that way I know you are getting food."

"I can do that."

"Good."

Orin let go and backed away so he could grab his pack from off the ground. Link then turned around holding out a red tunic, similar to the one he was wearing now. He raised an eyebrow.

"What's that for?"

"It's too prtect you from the heat of the volcano. IF you don't have it the heat will kill you."

Orin chuckled. "Though I do like the color, I don't need it. I remember that my kind can stand extreme heat. Our ancestors did breath fire ya know."

"Oh. Didn't know that. Well just in case I got a spare. I always have a spare. You never know when your gonna encounter a Like Like."

"A like-like?"

"It a big square thing made out of jelly goo stuff. It sucks you in and steals your Armour and stuff."

"Lovely…."

"Yeah… your telling me."

"Well, we have to get up there right? Let's go."

Link stopped to stuff the extra shirt in a side pocket when he saw out of the corner of his eye Orin crossing the line at the start of the path to the volcano. Not a moment after he heard the mountain groan and rumble signaling it was about to fire. Link ran after Orin.

"Orin wait!"

He got there just in time to knock Orin out of the way of a flying fireball landing right where he had been standing. When the dirt and ash cleared he was positioned over Orin as if shielding him from the blow with his own body. He was holding onto Orin's waist while he looked over the only path to the crater that had almost taken his friends life.

Orin stared at the now smoldering boulder that sat where he had been standing only a couple seconds ago. He looked up at the volcano that had ceased it's rumbling, and stood as innocent as can be. What the….

"You okay Orin?"

He looked down at Link who was still clinging to him as if his life depended upon it. His head rested right on his chest, his every breath felt by Orin's heightened senses. He could even feel the racing of Link's heart. Those blue eyes looked up at him with that worried expression of his that always seemed to get too him. He was way too adorable when he was worried. But….there were more pressing matters.

"I'm okay Link. But I thought you said this volcano wasn't active."

"Well…heh heh heh…."

Link sat up onto his ankles and scratched the back of his head.

"I forgot about the enchantment the Goron's had put on the mountain."

"Enchantment?"

"Well you see those two boulders on either side of the path?"

"Yeah."

"Well…you go past those and the mountain starts spitting fireballs at you every five seconds."

"Seems you have been down here before."

"Many times."

Orin stood up and brushed off his clothes as Link studied the mountain. He could fly over….but his wings had just healed themselves, he doubted they would be strong enough to carry both of them. And by the looks of it the enchantment had no markings anywhere on the path. Hmmm…

Orin picked up a stone and threw it over the stones. When it landed the mountain did nothing. He then caught a small lizard clinging on the rock face and pushed it so it would go across the stones. The mountain did nothing. Then Orin stepped past them and the Volcano began to rumble and groan. Followed by a flaming boulder being heaved his way.

No enchantment had such accuracy. If it was, they would see dead and charred animals lying across the path. This was no enchantment. The mountain was either a living volcano or there was some type of spirit that protected the place. There was no enchantment to break. And if he could fly it would most likely aim boulders at him in the air anyway. So since he was out of ideas best ask the expert.

"How do we get past it?"

"well….we run down the path and dodge the boulders. It's not really that hard. The volcano's aim isn't that great."

"I hope your right."

Orin and Link grabbed there packs and stood just behind the boulders as if preparing for a race. They both took deep breaths.

"Okay ready….set….Go!"

They bolted down the path as the volcano began to rumble. They ran as fast as possible as the first volley began to come down. Orin was up ahead of him as they fell, ducking and dodging with inhuman agility. Many of the boulders landed so close it singed his clothes and some of his hair at the ends. He jumped rolled and dodged his way up the path, link following close behind. By the dragons, this mountain had a temper!

Then about halfway up he saw a out cropping in the wall large enough for them to stand underneath and thick enough to shelter them from the rocks. Orin ducked under it and jus as Link ran past he grabbed him by the waist and pulled him under.

"waa! What are you doing?"

"we can hide out under this incline until the mountain calms.

Link held still after he righted himself. Orin's arms were still around his waist but he didn't seem to mind. Link backed up when a hot boulder landed right by his feet his back pressing back against Orin's chest. He was still a bit jumpy when it came to anything that could harm him. Once he calmed down he started to really take in the current situation and his longing for human contact began to kick in.

He closed his eyes as his mind and body took in how close they were. The feeling of Orin's chest rising and falling and having his arms around his waist made him relax and almost go limp. All his cares just faded away for a while. Not even the boulders crashing into the ground seem to worry him. And for one blissful moment the only thing he knew was Orin's arms around him. He wasn't sure why he felt so safe and secure but he liked it. It had been so long….

"Link…The boulders have stopped."

Blink…blink… "eh?"

"Comfortable?"

"Mmmhmmm."

"Link, we are still on the mountain. We have to get up to the dragon lings."

"Huh? Oh! Yeah right."

Orin let him go as he pulled away and peeked out from under the rock. As soon as link lost the feeling of his body against his he felt very cold. It was as if a piece of him had been left in those arms and he badly wanted to return to them. This new feeling scared him. Was this what it was like to be an adult? To have such strange longings? What was going on?

"Link is that what I think it is?"

"Huh?"

He followed Orin's finger to a small serpentine like creature about three feet long. It bore red scales and a flame like plume that ran all the way down the middle of its back. It looked like a miniature…. BY the goddesses!

"It's one of the babies!"

"It's as I thought. The mountain doesn't seem to be hurting it. Strange thing is that one looks to be at least two years old. Didn't Zelda say they just hatched?"

"Well maybe he was the first too hatch."

"That could be it."

"Hey Link?"

Link looked up to see Navi drowsily climb out from his hair and float down to his shoulder.

"What's up Nav?"

"Zelda just sent me a message. She has just learned that one of the eggs hatched two years ago and has been protecting the eggs, while the Goron's are gone. The Goron's arrived there to find that one youngling gone. They need him to help take care of the babies that just hatched, and they say he is a very rare breed that can speak. He looks like…Hey! That's him! He doesn't look too good."

"He's hurt. We have to help him."

"Only problem Orin, the volcano. If you walk out there the volcano will start up again and hurt the baby dragon."

Orin could sense the small dragon ling was in great pain. He had been fighting something that had greatly injured him. It was barely crawling on it's belly every motion seeming to cause him pain. He only inched across the ground, great fatigue in his eyes. A protective urge washed over him and without thinking he walked out into the pathway.

"Those wounds are deep. If he dies there will be no one to protect or teach the hatchlings. I am fast enough to be able to grab him and duck back under the outcropping before the fire balls start flying."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay. But you will need something to wrap him in. Here use the spare tunic I have."

"Thank you."

"Be careful Orin!"

"I will Navi. Won't take but a moment."

Orin dashed out onto the path toward the small dragon ling the volcano starting up again, only this time it seemed to take it's time. Just as he got up to the volcano it began to groan viciously, preparing to strike. But jus as he reached out for it the dragon ling let out a high pitched screech that stopped Orin in his tracks, along with the volcano.

Link who had been just about ready to run out there himself to drag Orin back under had skidded to a halt, covering his ears from the assault on his hearing. A banshee would have been repelled by the screech that baby dragon was voicing. Link swore he was almost bleeding from the ears. But when it finally stopped the Volcano was silent and shown no signs of starting again.

"The volcano won't harm you now. Not so long as I am out here. I am so tired…"

The baby dragon collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily as if he had been running forever. The small dragon tried to lift it's head but failed. It moaned with pain at the movement. Orin kneeled by it's side and ever so gently picked it up, wrapping it in the tunic link had given him. The small dragons eyes had closed but he was still breathing. Link joined him while Navi flitted about around the small bundle the dragon was wrapped in.

"Is he gonna be okay you guys?"

"He looks pretty beaten up Orin. Can we do something for him?"

"I am not sure…"

"Uh…you are the ones sent by the princess aren't you?"

They both looked down to see the dragons eyes barely opened. He laid limp in Orin's arms, fighting to keep his eyes open.

'we are."

"at last…"

"what happened?"

"The black one attacked again and I had to hold him off. I managed to get him to flee but at the cost of most of my strength. I tried to get down the mountain to tell the Goron's but I didn't have the strength."

"Don't worry. We can help now."

"Thank you. I couldn't forgive myself if something were to happen to my siblings."

A large shadow suddenly loomed over them. Orin slowly looked up to see a large black dragon hovering over the path. It was right over them but didn't seem to notice them. The scars on it's hide seemed familiar to Orin. He knew those markings from somewhere… especially that scar over the eye….

A flash of memory hit him broadside, making him almost drop the small dragon in his arms. It was a memory of him as a young boy standing next to his father. And before them was the same dragon that now floated above them. Draco….

That dragon had belonged to his father. He was always loyal, honorable and noble. What happened to him that would cause such action? Why was he doing this?

It was when he moved to fly away Orin saw it. On his forehead, between his two massive horns, there sat a fire red jewel like the one Ganondorf used to wear. That jewel was used to control large creatures such as Draco. He was not himself.

"O-Orin…was that the…?"

"Yes Navi."

"why didn't either of you attack?"

"It didn't notice us nav. Why expose ourselves before we have to? Right Orin?"

"Yes. We should get up the mountain. It won't be long before he comes back."

"How do you know that?"

"I know the dragon."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There. I did it. I had to cut out part of what I was gonna put in here but I did it. This chapter was a little off but oh well. Here ya go. Later.


	6. a little misunderstanding

Yeah I know I take forever. But here is the next installment. I have had so many stories I have been working on and toying with it's not funny. Well anyway, I do not own link all that stuff though Orin is my creation. This is real tedious but I don't want to get in trouble. And without further a do….

Orin looked up at the various outcroppings sticking out in random intervals all the way up to the entrance to death mountain. There is no way he could get up there that way without causing further damage to the young dragonling in his arms. The rapid jerks could severely injure if not kill him in his fragile state. It wasn't too far up and the dragonling didn't weigh much so….

"Here link, take him for a moment."

He handed the young one over to Link who cradled him like a baby in his arms.

"What for?"

Orin didn't answer just dropped the pack he wore and peeled off the black tunic he was wearing. Link stood there in half confusion half wonder as Orin's finely toned upper torso was laid bare right before his eyes without a second thought.

Link found that Orin's skin had a light tan to it. It was barely there, just enough to give it a healthy color but still considered fair compared to his. He hadn't seen the tan since the lighting in the water temple made even his golden tan seem pale.

Orin's body was almost a lot like his in tone but more….graceful. It was the only word he could think of. It wasn't pure strength like his was from years of fighting off monsters with nothing but sword, bow and hook shot. His was more like Sheik's had been, built for stealth and agility as well as strength. That and his musculature was a bit different around the back considering he did have wings. His body was that of a humanized cat.

The many scars he had stood out even more so now than in the temple, revealing a few scars Link hadn't seen the first time. There were whip marks on his sides that reached around to his back and what look like scars from a fire poker in random places. They were signs of torture and were fairly new by the looks of it….. What had Gannon done to him?

Link almost asked but thought better of it. And to keep him from saying anything he drew his attention to all the more faded scars, some of them barely visible. There were claw marks from monsters, slash marks from various sword marks, and even small round scars from, what could have been and probably was, arrows. Orin obviously was a warrior like he was at one point before Gannon got to him. But how did Gannon get to a warrior like him?

"Rupee for your thoughts?"

"huh?"

Link looked up to see Orin staring at him with a raised eyebrow, as he pulled his hair back into a ponytail using a strip of cloth Malon had loaned him.

"You seemed to be deep in though there Link."

"Oh, just admiring your scars."

Link than fervently kicked himself in the head for opening his mouth.

"Oh really?"

"well, I meant….by your scars it seems as if you had been a warrior at one time."

"I suppose that's possible. I probably wouldn't have this body if I wasn't something of the sort."

"Yeah. I would probably be just a stick if I hadn't had to save Hyrule…."

"You'd still be cute."

"Wha?"

Orin chuckled, "Never mind."

He then turned around and stuffed his shirt into his bag that was hooked around his waist like a belt. And that was when he saw Orin's back. The whip marks were all over his back but they were covered by something he didn't remember being there when he had first changed back. Covering the whip marks on his back were a pair of large tribal wing tattoo's that almost covered his entire back. When had he gotten them? And where had his wings gone? He thought that maybe he had shrunk them and wrapped them around his chest like armor but there was no sign of them. Unless….

"What are you doing Orin?"

"I do not wish to tear up the only shirt I currently own, Navi."

"What do you mean?"

She got her answer when the wing tattoos on his back raised upward turning into the large black wings he had sported when the spell had worn off. He stretched them out a few times before re hooking his pack around his waist.

"So that's where you wings went."

Orin turned and smirked.

"It's an old trick of my race. Of what I can remember of my race anyway."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really…."

"That's good."

"Okay, hand him too me."

"You gonna fly up there Orin? I thought you said your wings were to weak."

"They are to weak to carry another person besides me Link. The little one here doesn't weigh much so I will be fine. Besides, he is too weak to traverse the multiple jumps it would take otherwise."

"I guess I will have to get eh cobwebs out of my hook shoot then. Hang on Navi."

"I will meet you up there."

With one flap of his wings Orin soared upwards, shooting like an arrow up towards the sky. It took only a mere two flaps of his wings before he flew passed the ledge that the cave rested upon. He slowly glided down , to land soundlessly on the rocky edge. Orin looked down at the little one who slept in his arms, the wounds on his body already healing, with the help of Orin's connection to their race. He gently patted it's head and took one step forward………only to be charged at by a very distraught Goron.

"Give back the dragonling!"

Orin jumped up into the air, the large ball of rolling Goron just barely missing his left leg. Not even a moment after Orin touched ground he had to jump upwards again only this time staying in the air. He though he was safe to try and reason with the hylian creature until very large boulders started to wiz past his head.

"Give him back you thief!"

"Creature! I am…ah!...not….whoa!...your enemy!"

"Says the vile creature holding the stolen dragon! I will destroy you!"

"You Idiot! If you destroy me you will kill the dragonling!"

Swoosh-Crack!

"Ahhh!"

Orin began to drop out of the sky, his right wing severely injured from the boulder that collided with it. He flipped to his side, using his body to protect the young dragon from the blow. The ground slammed into his flesh like a dragons tail in the middle of a fight. He swore he heard a couple ribs crack…or maybe it was a wing….he wasn't sure. But whatever it was it was gonna hurt when he got up….and it was gonna hurt badly…

"Now you shall pay for your crimes creature…"

Orin glared up at the large Goron, his right eye closed against the pain in his ribs, his breath hissing through clenched teeth, and his battered body barely holding him in a crouched position. His body would not normally sustained such punishment but he had to protect the dragonling. If his life became forfeit to keep him alive so be it. He could not remember where this feeling came from but he couldn't push it back. It was ingrained, an instinct, a part of him he couldn't deny.

He looked down at his skin as scales began to appear and his canines began to lengthen behind his lips. His defense mechanism was kicking in. He had to keep it at bay or this walking boulder wasn't going to live through the encounter.

He held the dragonling tight against his chest as it stirred and opened it's eyes. The Goron had it's large fist raised above his head, ready to strike. Orin braced himself for death, and stared into the eyes of the one that would bring it without blinking. He prayed to the dragons that the Goron didn't miss.

Link cleared the last ledge expecting to see Orin up there handing the dragon back to the Goron's. What he got was Darunia with a murderous look on his face, his massive fist raised in the air, about to pummel Orin into the ground. Oh…Not good! Not good!

"Darunia Stop!"

Link charged head on at the two battling creatures and pounced. He latched onto Darunia's arm, his whole body hanging off of it in an attempt to stop Darunia from smashing Orin's skull to pieces like a watermelon.

"Link?"

"Darunia, calm down! He's a friend…my friend. He's here to help. Please don't squish him! I beg of you please don't squish him!"

Darunia blinked and the anger left his eyes. Confusion soon followed.

"He's with you little brother?"

Link nodded his head vigorously as Darunia looked over at Orin who was now kneeling on the ground still watching Darunia, ready to pounce any second if he should make any threatening movement.

"What is he doing with the baby dragon?"

"When we were running up the mountain path we saw him crawling down it. He was trying to get to you but was to weak to make it. Orin carried him back up here."

"Oh."

Darunia dropped his arm. Link landed on his but with a loud thud. Link took two seconds to say ow before scuttling over to Orin to check on him and the dragon.

"Everything all right Orin? You okay?"

Orin took a relived breath as the scent of danger faded and his body returned to normal. He sat down slowly and leaned against the rock wall of the Death Mountain entrance.

"I have a couple bruised ribs from falling and my wing I believe is broken but otherwise I'm fine."

"How's the baby?" Darunia asked.

"I am fine."

The small dragon climbed out of Orin's arms and slithered onto the ground, fully healed. He looked up at Darunia, then to Orin and back again.

"Darunia, you should really control that temper of yours. If Orin hadn't protected me with his own body I would have died, then my young siblings would have no one to teach them. You shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly. I believe you owe this young man an apology."

Darunia nodded at the dragon before kneeling in front of Orin. Orin, out of reflex, drew away from him when he held out his hand. It was internal reflex. If on first meeting the person, or creature in this case, attacks then his instincts register it as a foe to be wary of. It would take a while for the message to be counter acted.

"Your not gonna throw rocks at me or crush my head in are you?"

"I wish only to apologize. A few of the Goron's had said that the youngling had been kidnapped. They didn't know how strong he actually was. And when I saw you, a creature I had never seen before, I assumed that was what had happened. I apologize for whatever injury I have caused you."

"I see. Apology accepted."

Orin shook his hand.

"Link, you do have some potions with you right?"

"Yeah, but they are useless Darunia."

"Why is that?"

"Only I can heal him. Move."

The young dragon crawled up to Orin and slowly climbed up Orin's arm so he could maneuver his body right on Orin's chest. Orin placed his hand on the young dragons head and closed his eyes as he started to glow a faint white light. Link and Darunia looked on in awe as the light began to spread into Orin's body until he was glowing just like the dragon.

"Through the power of the White dragon that resides in each of us, your wounds are healed and your bones mended, Young Draconis, Protector of the dragons and guardian of Hyrule."

As the young dragon spoke the words a door was unlocked in Orin's memory. A short flashback was his to see once again. He was a child, playing in a field with a small dragon. It was a tiny thing just hatched only a few days ago. The small dragon, a silver blue in color, was curled up in his lap, drinking from a baby bottle. The small creature sneezed and turned into a tiny horse. Orin laughed.

Along with this memory a flood of knowledge, pertaining to potions, healing remedies, and a mastery of draconian weapons and the making of them, reasserted themselves in his mind. Piece by piece his memory was coming back, but despite his urgency to remember, there was a dark door in his memory that caused a fear to rise up in him. It was the memory that caused his amnesia he knew it but he knew once he unlocked it he may have not wanted to remember.

"Orin, hey Hyrule to Orin, hello?"

"Huh?"

Orin opened his eyes to see a pair of sky blue ones staring at him.

"You okay?"

"yeah….Why?"

"You were all zoned out for a while. Did you remember something?"

"Yeah…a few things…"

Orin put his hand against his forehead and went to stand up. The pain in his ribs was gone. He moved his wings and there full strength had been restored. He was all back to rights again….well mostly.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The whole mountain shook with the force of the roar just outside the entrance. The small dragon retreated back into the volcano to tend to his siblings.

"What was that?"

Orin felt it again. The familiar presence from his past.

"That's the black dragon. And he is pissed."

There. sorry it took so long. I apologize once again. This was going to be a longer chapter but i decided to leave it there. I love doing cliff hangers though that isn't one of my better ones. Anyway R&R oh and olny Orin and the Draconis race bleongs to me. well later.

And just as i went to psot this i realized i had uploaded the fifth cahpter but never posted it...whoops...so i ended up posting two chapters instead of one. yeah im laughing at my self rigth now. well anyway later.


	7. the dragon

Orin could feel the hot breath of the dragon as it perched itself outside. It's dark red eyes, the color of dragons blood, stared back into his midnight blue. The dragon knew he was there and seemed to recognize him. How, Orin wasn't sure, but he seemed to know him. He continued the battle of wills as the dragon sat right outside the entrance to the cave waiting for its prey.

Orin stood just beyond the entrance tunnel, watching and studying the dragons movements with concentration unmatched by any creature in Hyrule. His stance utterly still, his muscles taut and ready to spring to life if the dragon so much as twitched wrong. At the same time Orin's mind picked up information from the dragons psyche, focusing on battle tactics and strategies the creature employed. He wasn't sure how he was doing it but he utilized it regardless.

The dragon was old and very wise but his mind was muddled by mind control. He was not acting of his own accord. The jewel in his head was slowly killing him and once the instruments mission was complete the accursed stone would fulfill its purpose, giving the once strong and proud dragon a slow and torturous death. A flash of memory gave him enough knowledge to care for the dragon. The old creatures name appearing in his head as if he once knew this powerful dragon. Draco….who could have done this to you?

Orin could hear his thoughts and feel his pain. He could see all he knew through those crazed eyes. He was here to kill. He was here to finally end his pain and endless suffering. He was waiting for his chance, waiting for them to make one mistake. He would wait for them to come out even if it took years. A dragons patience is unmatched, along with their tolerance for pain.

"Is the dragon out there?"

"Yes, Link, he is."

"Can we get past him for a better position?"

"No. He will attack anyone that goes out the entrance."

"Darn…. Hmmm…. Oh! I know!"

Orin watched out of the corner of his eye as Link ran to where Darunia was taking care of the young dragonlings. He kept his main focus on the dragon waiting outside while still aware of what went on around him. It was the way he had always been….at least he thought so….

Orin watched the dragon, his hand fingering the crystal like stones in his pocket, as Orin planned his moves against him. Knowledge of battle plans and strategy appeared in his head like he had been doing it all his life. These instincts had been popping up a lot lately but he had no recollection of how he learned them, but still he did not question them.

He knew how to defeat the dragon outside, and had formulated a plan on doing so. Now If only he had his old gear this would be a lot easier. But what did it look like and where had he put it…..? It had something to do with a dragon……

"Hey Darunia does that old passage way through the temple still work? Maybe we could sneak up behind it or something. Ya know, distract it, so you can get the dragonlings to a safer place."

"It won't work."

Orin could see the confused look on Link's face. Link's idea would have worked if it was any other dragon but, according to the knowledge that ebbed an faded in his mind, this dragon was bred and trained for battle and strategy. It would know every course of action but straight forward combat. Espionage and trickery were it's profession.

"Why not Orin?"

"He knows where the passageway is and he will hear it open. Then he will head down to the entrance and will kill whomever gets in his way."

"Which would mean he would destroy my city to get to us.", Darunia said with an understanding look.

"Exactly."

"well what if we go out through the entrance and send darunia and the babies through the passage and we distract it up here?"

"He will sense the movement of the dragonlings, figure out that we are a distraction and will go after them instead of us. This dragon is not a yearling. He is at least half a millennia old."

"How do you know that?"

Orin's brow scrunched in concentration. The memory he had aquired when the dragon flew over them was gone. And all the knowledge he had just remembered was slipping from his mind. Only a vague knowledge, that was bordering on instinct remained. He tried to concentrate on it but it kept slipping in and out.

"I….I think I know him. But every time I try to confirm it in my mind… it fades. All I know for certain is how that dragon operates. And how intelligent he is."

"So what is our option?"

"We must fight him face to face. Close quarters and non strategic combat are his weaknesses."

"Well then lets go!"

Orin saw Link blow past him, heading straight for the dragon outside. Before he could even move to stop him, Link was already heading down the tunnel, sword in hand, heading straight for the cave entrance. He was gonna charge at it straight on like he was known for. That was not a good idea. Though those are the dragons weaknesses, he had no doubt made preparations to keep them from being exposed. Which, of course, would end in a lot of pain for the hylian.

"Link wait!"

Link didn't hear him as he jumped in the air, his battle cry piercing through the atmosphere around him. Orin took off on a dead run toward him, becoming nothing but a black blur as unnatural speed took him. Orin, growled as he sped off.

"Damn it! Impatient Hylian!" he cursed as he ran out to him.

Link soared through the air, his sword pointed down , ready to bury it to the hilt in the dragons hide. He fell through the air ready to slam in the blade, when the dragon looked up at him and smiled. The smile caught Link off guard as he came down. Why would he be smiling at certain death? Shortly after, Link found out why.

His sword slammed into an invisible barrier. White, hot searing pain flowed through his entire body as the sword fought to break through the magical shield. Streaks of energy raced through his sword and into his body causing him to cry out from the pain. The sword battled with the barrier trying to hit it's intended target despite the injury to it's owner. In the end, the barrier proved to be stronger and the backlash sent Link flying toward the mountain walls.

The rock was unmerciful to Links body as he crashed into the unmoving wall. Two very audible cracks sounded from his body causing a familiar but unpleasant pain to shoot through his back and arm. He slid down the wall feeling his arm dislocate from the Impact and his back pop out of place for the first time since he had fought the amoeba monster in the water temple three years ago.

He looked up through his pain fuzzed vision to see the dragon as it opened its mouth as wide as could be, a globe of blue fire forming in the back of it's throat. Links eyes widened as he saw the shield around the dragon disappear again. That thing was gonna shoot fire at him. He tried to get up only to realize his back wouldn't allow him any movement. It was out of place rendering him vulnerable. He was a sitting duck. Of all the ways…..

"Link!" Navi yelled from the entrance.

Orin ran out to the entrance, leaving nothing but a black blur and cloud of dust In his wake as he charged through the tunnel. He got there just in time to grab hold of Link, drag him back into the mountain and pull him against the wall before the dragon let loose his blue pillar of flame through the tunnel where link had once been.

Navi was rendered blinking and speechless at the speed of which Orin had accomplished it. All she had seen was a black line that had run in front of her then darted behind a rock in the blink of an eye. But before she could truly comprehend what she saw, she had to dart behind her own boulder before she became a crispy critter.

The flames burned hot against his skin as the intense attack roared right past them. Orin shielded Link with his own body as he waited for the flames to dissipate, his skin much more durable against the searing flames. That was way too close. Any later and link would have been a bacon crisp. Just like a warrior, always charging in without thinking. He was lucky he could still move that fast.

Orin looked down at Link seeing the pain written on his face. His arm was hanging in a funny position and he seemed to be in great pain every time he moved. The crash against the wall had to have done more damage than it looked. He wouldn't be able to fight by the looks of it.

"Link are you all right?"

He hissed through clenched teeth, "No."

"what is injured?"

"My arm is dislocated and my back is out….again."

"Again? This has happened before?"

"Many times on my quest to save Hyrule."

"can you fight?"

Link shook his head, to busy clenching his teeth against the pain it obviously caused him.

"I guess I will have to fight him."

"how? That dragon has a barrier around him."

"Give me your bow."

"what for?"

"Just hand it over. You shall see."

Link handed them over apprehensively. Orin could see the look of worry In his eyes. He just smiled and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Link. I know what I am doing. Stay here."

"Be careful."

The look in Links eyes nearly broke him apart. There was fear in his eyes, not for himself but for him. He was afraid to loose him. The loneliness he could see there was just sitting at the edge of his psyche ready to pounce at the right opportunity. What had caused him so much pain that even the merest inkling that Orin would loose his life would make him have that almost desperate expression? Orin moved the hand on Link's shoulder to rest against links neck, his thumb caressing Links cheek. A single tear was making it's way into Link's eye's as he looked at him.

"I'll be fine. I'll come back I promise. It won't take long."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

In that moment he saw how truly child like Link really was. He had the body of a grown man and could pass off as one easily but when it came down to it he was still just a young boy. He had never truly grown up and now the evidence was as plain as day. Orin just couldn't help it. He wasn't sure whether it was a older brother looking out for his kid brother thing or if it was he cared for him more than his mind would care to admit,…. But he just had to.

He gently kissed Link's forehead. It was a feather light touch, that didn't mean much to most people but for Link it appeared to be something he had needed from him. And when Orin pulled away, just for a moment, he saw the light come back to Link's eyes. He was bound and determined to make that light stay there forever. Whatever it took.

Orin turned toward the edge of the boulder and pulled out an arrow. With the arrow head he cut his hand just enough to bleed but still be useable. He smeared his blood onto the arrow, making sure it was good and coated before he began to position himself. In the back of his mind he had known what the purpose was though he couldn't remember but for now he went on instinct. He ran the feathers of the arrow across his tongue before he put the arrow into the bow and pulled it back.

Orin looked out around the corner, seeing his target. It was waiting there for the next attack confident in it's shield to protect it. Orin leaned out to get a better look but went out to far and ended up with another fire ball straight at his face. He ducked behind the boulder again and looked down at Link. He nodded at Link who gave him a thumbs up before he took a deep breath and ran to the next boulder.

The dragon saw him and shot another fire ball at him, narrowly missing him by about two inches. The edge of the cloak Malon had given him became singed on the edge it had gotten so close. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck as he prepared mentally for the attack. As he readied himself he heard something.

_Kill…me…._

Orin looked around for a moment thinking it was his mind playing tricks on him. But when he heard the gruff and pained voice again he knew who it was.

_Please…end my life…before….I…kill innocents…._

It was the dragon

"Don't worry old one. I will end your life with honor."

He heard the intake of breath, signaling the dragon had heard him.

_Thank….Gaia. I thank you young one…. Please…end it…. _

Orin looked around the boulder and could see the pain etched across those old black scales. The fatigue in his eyes was one that has been suffering for countless years. He would end it quickly. There was only one way to do so.

He had to shoot the arrow into the jewel on its head. His blood will allow the arrow to go through the barrier according to the ebbing and fading knowledge inside his head. Now all he had to do was time it just right and fire. He began to count.

"10.… 9.…8..."

He positioned his feet in ready stance as he stood behind a boulder. He could feel Links eyes on his back as he focused on his target. He looked back to see Link gripping the boulder he hid behind with white knuckles. He had to get it just right so he survived the blast.

"7.…6.…"

Link was fervently praying to the Goddesses for his survival as Orin pulled back the bow string. _Please don't let him die. I don't think I can handle losing him again. Not now._

"5...4..."

The dragon sensed his presence and began to inhale.

"3.…2.…"

Orin took a deep breath to steady his shot and began to slowly raise the bow.

"….1.…"

Orin fluidly and gracefully swung out form behind the boulder and pointed the arrow right at the dragons head. Just as it bowed, ready to unleash its fiery fury, it revealed the jewel perfectly. His body stilled.

"Forgive me."

He let it fly. It soared gracefully through the air toward the barrier around the dragon. Orin froze in position, still holding the bow battle ready In case he was in need of another shot. He stood the perfect picture of a warrior archer as he watched the arrow cut the air. Link held his breath. Darunia closed his eyes unable to look. The arrow hit the barrier..….

An explosion rocked the cave walls as a wall of fire ripped through the entrance tunnel. Link fell back against the wall from the force of the blast, the wind whipping so hard it was threatening to rip the clothes from his body.

Once it was calm Link ran out to the entrance despite his injuries. His heart pounded in his chest, his adrenaline pumping through his system. Had he done it? Had he killed the dragon? Had he survived?

He couldn't see him. There was nothing but smoke and the smell of burnt flesh. He couldn't hear anything. Where was he? What happened? Is he alright? Link covered his mouth and plunged head long into the fumes, the smoke burning his eyes making them water, to where he could hardly see. Please, Please, by the goddesses please let him be alive. Please!.

"Orin?"

No answer. Link kept stumbling through the tunnel tripping on a rock and falling, causing more damage to his already broken body. But he picked himself up again and kept going determined to find him.

"Orin are you all right?"

Still nothing. Link began to worry his heart beat picking up more than it already was. His hands began to shake. He became desperate.

"Orin! Orin! Speak to me! Orin! Where are you?!"

Nothing….

He continued to wobble through the smoke feeling his way along the walls. He couldn't see anything through the smoke and dust. Then…. He kicked something.

He looked down to find his bow discarded on the ground, blood on the string and wood. His eyes widened. His heart began to beat faster, a fear that of which he had never felt raced through his system threatening to paralyze him as he moved away from the wall in the direction Orin had been. What would he find? Would he find the living form of his friend with an injured hand or would he find the charred remains of his best friend. He prayed to the goddesses it was the first.

Then suddenly, out of the black, he could see an egg shaped outline standing at least six foot high or more. But, It wasn't moving. Maybe the blast had caused lava to form and washed over Orin, encasing him in stone forever! Oh goddesses! Please no!

"Orin? Orin is that you? Are you all right?"

A strong wind blew through the tunnel whisking all the smoke away with it. Once Link's sight had cleared he saw the figure he had seen was not a large stone but what looked like a pair of wings wrapped around something. Wait….those were Orin's wings! Was he okay?

Link walked up to him slowly, praying that the form wouldn't collapse revealing a lifeless body of what was once his best friend. He reached out his hand, his fingers quaking as they touched the soft but strong feathers of Orin's wings.

"O-Orin? Are…you okay?"

The wings slowly moved and pulled away revealing a living Orin, just a little singed around the edges. Link sighed in relief and fell against him hugging him the best he could through his injuries, glad to see him alive.

"Your alive!"

"Last time I checked."

Orin wrapped his arms around the collapsed hero of time, rubbing his back, as his wings slowly retreated back behind the cloak they had sprung from.

"You scared me there for a second."

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay. As long as your alive."

Link winced as the adrenaline rushed out of his system, and the pain form his abused body let him know he still wasn't well. His legs buckled out from under him, his exhaustion both physical and emotional finally kicking in on his battered form.

Orin caught Link as he collapsed and picked him up bridal style before he hit the ground. Link's head rested against his shoulder as he gently carried him out to where he could see his work. He sat him at the edge of the entrance where he could see the dragon, collapsed on the outcropping. It was still breathing but by the looks of things it was dying.

The jewel in its head was broken and bleeding a thick balck ooze that slowly creeped down the dragons snout, around the arrow that was logged within it. The wings hung limp and looked almost broken though they were perfectly intact. Its eyes were just barely open, and they were clouded with the onset of exhaustion. The dragon looked like a totally different creature now that the jewel was destroyed.

"Is he dangerous now?"

"He is back to himself. He was being controlled. Stay here."

Orin started to walk to where the dragon laid.

"what are you doing?"

"I must talk to him. He may know me and the past I have forgotten."

Orin walked over and kneeled next to the dragon. He reached over and rested his right hand against one of its horns while the left rubbed it's snout. It was a comforting gesture to any dying dragon.

The dragon was on it's last breaths of life. He would no doubt die soon, but since he died in battle it would be an honorable one. At least Orin had given him that. But there was so much he needed to know and this dragon may be the one to tell him. Hopefully this creature would give him a few pieces to the ever growing puzzle that was his memories.

"Draco."

The dragon stirred and opened his eyes, to where only the barest of red color shown out behind his eyelids.

"You know my name?"

"I knew you once. At least….I think I did."

He looked up at Orin a flash of recognition showing in his eyes.

"Young master, you live. I'm glad."

"How do you know me?"

"I was your fathers dragon before the tragedy. Before you….were taken from us."

"Taken?"

"I see you don't remember….I figured as much. It is better for you not to know."

The dragon shifted and sighed.

"What am I? Where do I come from? Who am I?"

The dragon managed a weak chuckle.

"So many questions young one…. Always so many questions…I am not surprised you can not remember your past but still know your abilities. It is the way of your people. Those that you tried to protect."

"My people?"

"The Draconis."

The word opened a page of his memory. Half dragon, five elements, one made of them all….

_A young boy, a young version of Orin, stood by a man who he greatly resembled. The man pointed out to the young dragons playing in the field and the old and wise one in human form standing next to him._

_"Father why do those kids not want to play with me? They seem afraid to come near me."_

_"well my son, it is because you are a very special child and non one wants to risk injuring you."_

_"why?"_

_"You are very important to us my son. You are the first of your kind in over 200 years…."_

"I see you have remembered something young master."

"What did my father mean by first of my kind?"

"That I can not tell you. You must find it out on your own. By Gaia I am so tired…."

Orin looked down at the ground. It was not the answers he was seeking but it filled in a few gaps. But it also opened up so many more….

"I wish I could do more…."

"It is all right young one. I am finally able to die in peace. I will fulfill your fathers last wish before everything happened and my life leaves me…."

"Last wish?"

"Your armor, your sword, and your bow, are all Inside me. I was keeping them safe until I could find their owner again. What is left of me I give you to use as you see fit. I wish to at least right some of the wrongs I have done by the medicine and armor my body will provide."

"I will honor your wish old friend. Rest now. May you join your brothers and sisters in the sky."

"Thank you. Stay alive young master. You are one of the last. Without you Hyrule will fall….."

"What do you mean?"

"You will learn soon enough. I'm….. so.….. tired…."

"Sleep. Rest in peace."

"At….last.…"

The dragons eyes faded as the last breath left him. Orin slowly closed his eyes and ran his fingers over the smooth scales of the once proud and wise dragon. A deep sadness soon enveloped his heart, causing one single tear to go down his face, soon followed by a second and a third. This dragon shouldn't have had to be put down like this. He should have died of his own free will in a battle of his choosing. He would find the bastard who did this and put an end to his atrocities.

Link who had somehow managed to get him self bowed back over a boulder to put his back in place noticed the tears sliding down Orin's face. Once the sickening crack and blot of pain receded form his body he called out to Orin, worried for his friend. He had not seen him cry like that since the water temple three years ago when he cried for his own tortured soul.

"Hey, Orin, are you okay?"

He looked up wiping the tears from his eyes, to find Links awkward position.

"I'm all ri-- what are you doing?"

"Putting my back, back in. But now I'm kinda stuck. Could you help me?"

Orin shook his head and chuckled as he stood adn walked over. He grabbed hold of one of links arms and pulled. Link flew upward, lost his balance and crashed right into Orin's chest. Orin braced himself against the wall to keep himself from toppling over, which caused his arms to wrap around Link's waist pulling him closer to him.

Link felt that warmth around him again and his body went limp. The need for human contact and his constant isolation pushed him to be as close to him as possible. He felt warm, safe, secure, and most of all, cared for. He didn't want to move. He wanted to stay right here and hide from the world. No hero of time, No saving Hyrule….just this contact.

Orin looked down at Link almost shocked in his change of mood. What isolation had Link gone through to cause him to cling to him so desperately. Not that he minded, but it almost seemed as if he had had no human contact In his life. But now that he thought about it and by what link had told him It may have been a very strong possibility. Orin had half the mind to let him stay there but Link had a dislocated shoulder and he had stripping to do.

"Link."

"Hmmm?"

"I have to pop your shoulder back in."

"huh? Oh yeah.…I kinda forgot."

"You forgot?"

"eh…heh heh…"

Link scratched the back of his head as he let go of Orin and he grabbed his arm. Link winced signaling it was the one that was injured.

"All right this is going to hurt. Ready?"

"Do it."

Orin twisted the arm and shoved. Pop!

"Ahh!"

"It went in?"

"Yeah, it went in. thanks."

"No problem."

"So what do we do with the dragon?"

"Well…..I have to gut it and skin it. Among other things."

"What?! W-why?"

"It is what he wished. I must honor the old dragons wishes. Link I am going to need your sword."

"Doesn't dragon blood melt metal?"

"Only when it is warm. He is dead. Dragon blood cools very quickly. Or so my fading knowledge tells me."

"Oh."

Link handed over the sword as Orin righted him, his body still weak from the exertion. He was tired and sore and Orin could tell he could hardly stand. He swept out links legs from under him and rested him against the stone he had previously been haphazardly stretched across.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"You are tired Link. Here, you rest, this is going to take a while."

"Oh, okay. Wake me up if you need me."

"I'll do that. Here."

He took off his cloak and draped it over Link's weary form as he laid down. Within moments he was asleep and Orin got ready to work on the corpse of the once great dragon. As he went to make the first incision he looked back at Link who slept peacefully on the ground and smiled.

He was so broken…..so dependent on him….of all the people to depend on he picked him. Why? Orin wasn't sure but he was going to accept the responsibility. He cared deeply for the lonely Hylian and he was determined to help him heal again.

But he had time. No rush. And Link was young…still had plenty of time to heal and find what he needed. Orin was going to help him in anyway possible. Link had helped him and showed him compassion and friendship where others would only give scorn. Orin was grateful for it.

He watched as Link snuggled under the cloak like a little kid in a blanket. He was so cute… And Orin had no problems admitting it. He vaguely recalled being told such feelings where common amongst his race…..there was something about it not mattering whether they were the same gender or not…..something about what males could do…..

Oh well. Orin shrugged and went to work. Now what to do with what was left after he took what he needed…..

--

There. I finally got around to spell checking it. Now next one may take a bit since ihavent quite worked it out. but anyway enjoythis one. later.


	8. the accidental kiss

Orin slashed open the dragons underbelly, around where that extra stomach was. If he remembered correctly a dragon had two stomachs, one to digest food and the other originally to store it when they could sense oncoming hardships. But he recalled later in years, since the second stomach held no digestive juices and just was like a big storage space, that a few warriors would hide their weapons there. That must be where the objects he had mentioned were.

The smell nearly seared off his nostrils as he dug into the dead body. Once through the major organs and ribcage he finally was able to get a hold of that extra stomach. He carefully slid in the sword and cut off the extra esophagus that served as the conduit for food and weapons into the pouch like organ. When he cut it loose and slowly pulled it out, a gush of foul smelling liquid came rushing out and splattered on his clothes.

"Oh lovely….."

He shrugged it off and sliced open the sack like organ. Nothing fell out except a bundle of armor and a few weapons that were very familiar to him. He picked up a piece of the armor and laid it out on the ground. Each piece he laid out in the order of the parts it protected until the whole suit laid out in front of him. It was a full suit of armor that was made out of skin tight dragon scale. It was stronger than the heaviest of armor but as light as Links tunics that he wore. But there was something missing…..but what was it?

Wait he remembered! There was a cloak made out of the skin of a dragons wing. Hmm….must have disintegrated in the heat of the dragons innards……those could never last long in the dragons stomach. Orin could not remember why…. Oh well. He could make another one.

All that was left was the weapons. A bow, made of dragon bone and the hair from a Pegasus laid on the ground with a set of arrows made of crystallized dragons blood, that could pierce any armor ever created, even dragon. it was a sturdy bow that he had always kept with him. These articles were his....it was like they were a part of him he would never forget. They were a part of his flesh and blood. But, the weapons that were lying next to them were part of his very soul.

On the ground laid a pair of shining short sword sized blades attached to about twenty feet of dragon bone chain. In the hilt of each blade was an obsidian jewel swirling with silver, that shown brightly in the sun. He reached out and touched them, running his fingers down the blades lovingly when his mind was assaulted with yet another memory.

_He stood amongst a throng of monsters, growling and snapping at him as he held his swords at the ready. His cloak and armor shown obsidian in the afternoon sun as he stood still amongst the forest branches. The trees around him released their pink petals to caress his skin, letting him know they were grateful for his rescue._

_He waited for them to pounce, and the moment they did he let his blades fly. Around in circles twisting and circling, the blades gracefully sliced through the air, around trees, and through branches, cutting off limbs and heads, ripping open chests and bowels as they flew. The grace and power of which he moved was that of a master of his blades, no one in the kingdom could match him. Not even his own father._

_With a quick jerk the blades came back to him and were replaced on his back, the monsters now lying dead at his feet. He hadn't even broke a sweat. The monsters had grown weaker than last he had fought them.... or he had grown in strength._

_"Young master!"_

_"Your highness!"_

_Orin turned around to see his fathers dragon in human form and the captain of his squad running towards him._

_"Are you all right, your highness?"_

_"I am fine. It was nothing."_

_"These monsters are getting to weak for you, young master. It is time for some much harder prey."_

_Orin smiled and scratched the back of his head, his battle focus having dissipated._

_"Oh, Draco, I'm not that good."_

_"Still humble as always."_

_"heh heh."_

Your highness? Was he a king? A prince maybe? Nah….maybe just a war hero or something. He couldn't be royalty. He would have more class and know more ediqette than he does. and he certainly wouldn't be a warrior…..well there is…..

"Hey Orin you all right?"

Orin turned around to see the young dragon ling crawling over to him. He curled up near his feet looking at what he was doing. The dragon knew what he was doing with the elders body so there was no mix ups.

"I'm all right."

"You seemed distant for a moment."

"A flash of broken memory that's all."

"I see. How is Link?"

"I….told you Mido….go cut your own grass…."

Orin turned and looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. The dragon following suit.

"I see he is sound asleep. But who is Mido?"

"I have not the foggiest."

The tiny dragon looked down at the swords in Orin's hands as he stared at them. he held them lovingly like he held a lover. The young dragon recognized the blades. Every dragon in existence knew those blades by instinct alone. They were the blades that the silver dragon himself created. Only those of his bloodline could wield them. Which got the young one wondering...... But since he could sense amnesia in the young man before him, he was not going to ask.

The dragons head perked up as he heard the sound of shell breaking. Orin noticed the movement and soon felt the presence of three new dragons, and new magic entering the world. He smiled as he started to hear the squeaks and cries of the hungry newborn dragons.

"Well it seems that my siblings are calling to me. I shall have Darunia send a message to the queen of your success."

"Thank you."

The young dragon began to crawl back to the temple but stopped.

"Orin, what are you going to do with the rest of him?"

Orin thought about it. This dragon would make enough meat to feed at least ten families if not more. It would make enough medicine to fill a physicians orders for at least a year and the skin on him would be able to make enough armor for a small battalion of hyrule soldiers. Orin would have no need for that much......

"well, I was going to take what I need from him, then give the rest out to the people. I just don't know how....."

"Tell Zelda. She will do it for you. In this time of recovery she needs all the help she can get."

"I'll do that."

Orin smiled at the dragon as he nodded back.

"Well, I hope to see you again Orin. And good luck with your amnesia."

"How do you.....?" Orin stopped and them remembered exactly why he would know. "Never mind. But....thank you."

Orin watched as the small dragon crawled away. He had made another friend. It felt good to have friends that you could depend on. Having anyone you could depend on was a gift from the dragons. Orin looked over at Link sleeping on the ground. Even if they have to depend on you.

(fast forward a few hours.)

Orin wiped the sweat from his brow as he separated his one bag from the other thirty or so. He stretched his arms and cracked his back as the sun rose high in the sky starting it's descent into the twilight. It was tiring work but it was done. He still wasn't sure how he so easily skinned and gutted the large dragon but he assumed it was a skill he learned from his past. A past he could still only remember bits and pieces of. he defiantly couldn't have been true royalty if he knew how to do this. what royalty would let themselves get bloody and covered in entrails to glean things for the kingdom when they can have someone else do it? Well you never know...... By the dragons he needed a bath.

"Orin, why are you covered in blood?"

Orin turned around to find the one the sleepy voice came from. He found it was link with only the top of his head showing from the cloak, one eye sleepily looking out from behind his blonde bangs. he was only about half conscious.

"I skinned the dragon, and gleaned it's meat to give to the poor in Hyrule."

"Oh....ok. You done?"

"Yeah, just finished."

"Ok."

The cloak was pushed off as Link got up and stretched, covering his mouth with his fist as he yawned. He stood up and rubbed his eyes as he picked up the cloak from off the ground. he wasn't limping or complaining about a sore shoulder so Orin assumed he had healed while he slept.

"Have a nice nap?"

"Mmm Hmm."

"Good."

Link handed Orin the cloak, then grimaced before sleepily saying.....

"Orin, I think you need a bath...."

Orin laughed and tussled Link's hair. "yeah I know. Now help me with this stuff would ya?"

The morning sun smacked Link right in the face as it peeked in through the open window. It had been late into the night before they were able to get back from running all the stuff from the dragons to the places they needed to go. And even when they got home Link was the only one to seek sleep, Orin stayed awake, saying there was something he had to do first before he went to sleep. And by the look of the undisturbed cot that laid next to him, he had yet to seek sleep. Well Link planned on getting as much sleep as possible even if Orin didn't. he could lecture him later. But right now..... Back to sleep.....

Link pulled the blanket up against his neck and snuggled down into the pillow. He was all nice and cozy, just about to dose off, when an energetic ball of light flashed in his face. He promptly pulled the blanket over his head as her high pitched voice grated across his hearing. Normally her voice was a welcome sound but not this early in the morning.

"Link! Wake up!"

Link whined, "Whaaaat?"

"Your needed."

"What do the sages want now?"

"It's not the sages, it's Epona. Adin taught her a new ability yesterday and she wants to show you."

"How do you know that?"

"You will just have to see. You'll like it. Promise."

Link pulled the covers off, his naked upper body shivering from the morning chill. Epona was a good reason to wake up. He would get up for her. He wondered what she had learned yesterday as he pulled on his tunic and boots. He finger brushed his hair and tied it in a ponytail before dragging himself down the stairs yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Hurry Link! She's in the stable! Malon is waiting to groom her but she wanted to show you first!"

"All right, all right I'm coming."

Link walked out where Epona stood. Her eyes were shining. She was happy about something. He walked up to her and petted her head like he did every morning and she nuzzled his neck like always. It was a regular comfort he never tired of. He loved epona to death and even planned on taking care of her children when she had them. He kissed her snout before speaking to her.

"Morning girl, so what is it that you have to show me?"

_L.....in......k......_

Link looked around when the voice entered his head. It was faded but it was female. What the.....?

_Link._

"Did you say something Malon?"

"Wasn't me." She smirked.

"Me neither."

"Then if it wasn't you or Nav then who?"

_Link, it's me Epona. Can you here me?_

Link's head snapped to Epona. His eyes widened. Could it be?

"Epona?"

_Can you here me? Please say you can here me?_

It was! It was her! BY the goddesses! He could hear her!

"I can here you! Thank the goddesses I can here you!"

Link glomped her, tears streaming down his face. He was so happy. he could here her voice. Link held her tight as she whinnied in joy, picking him up as she stood on her hind legs. When she put him back down he was laughing. He let go and looked into her eyes his hands holding into either side of her face.

"I thought you were suppose to learn how to fly?"

_I was....until Adin found a problem._

"what was that?"

_I'm too young._

"Too young?"

_Yep, I'm ten years old. Adin says that most get their wings in their tenth year but he thinks I have about two weeks or so...... So without the needed wings to learn he couldn't teach me. So instead he taught me the next best thing._

"How to speak."

_Yep. We both noticed how sad you looked when you saw the two of them talking to each other and you couldn't. So he taught me so you could here my voice. He said you looked like it was something you needed. And I wanted to be able to talk to you so I can tell you how I feel and help comfort you. _

Epona licked and nuzzled his face and neck again, as he hugged her.

_I love you link._

"I love you too Epona."

Link kissed her face again and ran his fingers through her mane. Epona was his friend, one of his closest companions. They had been through hell and back together. If he ever lost her he wouldn't know what to do. She was the only horse for him. Just her, no one else.

"remind me to thank Adin later."

_I will._

"Oh, speaking of Adin. where's Orin?"

"He's over there in the pasture on Adin's back."

"what?"

Link turned around to see the pasture where Adin wandered lazily and what he saw made him laugh. There on Adin's back was Orin, sprawled out, both legs hanging limply on either side of Adin's body, one arm resting on his shoulders as a pillow for Orin's head the other hanging limply like his legs were. And by the looks of things, Orin was unconscious. Link tried not to chuckle at his cuteness.

"How long has he been like that?",Link snickered.

"most of the morning. isn't he just adorable?" Malon cooed.

"Yeah…."

"awww….link has a crush!"

Link whipped around to face Malon.

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"That's enough you two!" Talon roared from just inside the house. "Malon you have breakfast to finish. Link why don't ya go wake up your friend there for breakfast."

"Yes papa! Link, go wake up Orin ok?"

"All right."

Link slowly walked over to Adin who was lazily munching on grass and walking around absently with Orin on his back. When he reached him he gently patted Adin's nose before he made his way over to his sleeping best friend. But as he approached he caught Orin's scrunched up face, as if he was scared or in battle. Link tried to shale him but to no avail as he began to growl and his mouth formed words and then a voice. At first they were ramblings but then the began to become legible and the words began to frighten him.

"Run…..he's…..no….I will…..go…..no! You…..lied!"

"Orin?"

Suddenly Adin screeched like he had been hurt and his head turned toward Orin. Link looked to Adin and saw a pained look on his face.

"Adin what's wrong?"

_His nails, they are digging into me._

Link looked down to Orin's hands and gasped. They were no longer the hands of a normal man. They had turned into long and sharp razor talons covered in black, shining scales from the elbow down. It was a hand resembling that of a dragon like Volvagia's had been. He looked up to Orin and saw through his loose fitting tunic that the scales had spread to his neck and the sides of his face. The scales shown in the light like a dragons. When link looked to Orin's face the tip of a pair of fangs poked out form his upper lip and the roots of his long black locks and begun to shine silver like the blade of the master sword.

The long claws indeed were digging into Adin's back and making nasty gash marks in the horses hide. Link had to wake him up and fast if he was to prevent his friend from hurting his horse.

"Orin, wake up!"

Orin's eyes snapped open but they weren't the blue eyes of his friend. A pair of crystals the color of ice stood where his blue eyes once had been. They flashed with hellfire both red and blue as he sat up as rigid as unyielding stone. Link jumped back shaking. The aura coming off him was making it hard to breath for young link as he watched his friend battle something within him and change into something else.

Orin stared straight upwards as his back arched backwards a pair of long fangs glinting in the morning sun. His claws unhinged themselves from Adin's hand and began to stretch out to either side as if he was awaiting something to fall from the sky so he could catch it. Then…..slowly…..he turned his head toward him and locked eyes. Link suddenly felt as if he was standing in front of a great king, his knees bending and kneeling all on their own.

What was going on? Why was this happening to Orin? Was it part of his past? Orin…..

"Gaothan….Talamh…..Teintean…..Uisgeachan…..Airgead….." Orin growled.

Wind…..Earth…Fire….Water….Silver? The mouth movements didn't match the words that entered his mind but it was what he heard. And moments later, Orin's eyes turned back to their original color along with the rest of his body before he collapsed back onto Adin in the same manner as he had been. Link was shaking as he stood and Orin's eyes slowly opened with great difficulty.

"Link?"

Link couldn't answer. He just shook. He watched as Orin's face became etched with worry as Link backed away like a scathed dog. All link could think was…..what just happened? What is he? Who…how…? Links eyes zeroed in on the ground not able to see anything around him but the direction his eyes were staring in. Links brain shut off from fear, shock, and confusion all at once. He couldn't breath, couldn't speak….just suddenly couldn't calm down. Orin….help…..

The aura that had come off Orin had penetrated his being and something him began to break. His body felt like it was imploding and his jaw and back began to ache. His arms wrapped around his middle as he began to collapse. But just as it began to wane and his legs buckled beneath him a pair of warm and strong arms encircled him in an embrace he collapsed into.

"Link! Link! What's wrong?"

Link looked up and upon seeing Orin jumped out of his hold, his fear getting the best of him for the first time since he was ten. His eyesight began to go funny, buildings became sharper and he could see almost through the great wall on the other side of the ranch, his vision chasing that of a rabbit over by the river. His body began to feel as if it was burning form the inside out. His upper jaw felt like it was being torn out and his head and back felt pain equal to twenty master swords stabbing into his flesh.

"it….it hurts…. I'm burning….."

"Link, calm down…. You have to calm down. It wont go away other wise. Breath."

"I-I can't"

Through his air deprived vision he felt Orin's strong arms wrap around him from the back. Link was starting to lose focus. He gripped onto Orin's arms to steady himself and give him a sense of grounding.

"Follow my breaths link! Mimic my chest movements. You must breath."

Link obeyed, focusing on Orin's presence and the feel of his chest against his back. He mimicked the movements and slowly the burning and aching went away and he was able to calm down. Once he regained his breathing he collapsed against Orin utterly exhausted. Link could hardly stand causing Orin to have to hold him up. And that's when his brain utterly shut down.

All link could think of was the man holding him. His skin was so warm through his tunic. He smelled like a forest after a spring rain and it relaxed him. His body felt so nice against his back….so safe and comfy. Link sighed.

"Link?"

"huh?" he whispered.

"You all right?"

"I… think so."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. You were sleeping on Adin and I went to wake you. You looked like you were having a nightmare and started mumbling some broken words. Then, before I could wake you,….."

Links eyes shot open and he spun around so fast Orin had no time to react. He grabbed hold of Orin's shoulders pulling him close enough to where he was breathing what Orin exhaled. It took a moment to realize how close they were but once he did he could feel the heat rise in his cheeks and he could imagine his face turning the shade of a red rupee right about now.

"what happened after that?"

"umm….you….well…."

Links brain was imploding and he could will his mind to think of an answer as he stared into Orin's deep sapphire cat's eyes. His heart was pounding and his body felt too hot, almost like he was going to start bursting into flames at any second. The hotter his body felt the more aware he was of Orin's arms resting around his waist and the brush of his chest every time he inhaled. With each brush link bit his lip, feeling a strange sensation coil in his nether regions. He recognized that familiar feeling and the trembling of his body soon followed.

"Link, are you cold?"

"N-no…I…"

"Link…your eyes…"

"W-what?"

"Oh no! Look out!" Malon shouted.

But before either of them could react Malon slammed into Orin pushing him forward closing the distance between their lips. Link froze, his eyes wide and scared…at first. The warmth and softness of Orin's lips felt too good to pull away from and thus link responded to the kiss, pulling Orin closer with his hands on his shoulders. This was certainly not Links first kiss for Saria had given him his first when he was still a child and Malon was the one to actually show him what a kiss was. But, neither of them made his stomach do flip flops and awake that ache deep within his nethers that felt so good under the circumstances.

A quiet moan escaped when eh felt Orin press back, his arms tightening their hold around his body sending little sparks downs his spine. His lips were soft, his body strong and warm and his scent was intoxicating. Links hands dug into his hair feeling the silky strands that he had always worn, tangling them around his fingers. He felt his body burn even more intensely than it had been his body becoming much more sensitive then he had ever known it could. The burn in his veins and the ache in his groin were getting unbearable. He wanted to have it taken away. And his instinct, his heart, and his soul told him that Orin was the only one who could.

"Ah-hem."

Malon's voice shattered the moment and Link crashed back down to reality. He literally jumped from Orin's hold his face turning the prettiest shade of red from hairline to chin as he meekly covered his mouth. Orin just stood there scratching the back of his head and coughing, not a sign of red anywhere on his face. He was calm as can be while Link was acting like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Malon stood there with one hand on her hip while the other held a gallon of lon lon milk, smiling like Cheshire cat.

"Well, now….I was gonna say I was sorry for bumping into you guys but it looks like I did you too a favor." she giggled.

"Malon!" Link whined.

Orin chuckled.

"Oh come on Link, you enjoyed it!" She teased.

Link's face got even redder if that was possible.

"You look so adorable when your blushing doesn't he Orin?"

Orin walked over to him and tussled his hair playfully as he answered.

"Sure does."

Was Links mind the only one totally lost and slowly imploding? Just a few seconds ago he was in a liplock with the guy he considered his best friend and enjoyed it, but now, its like everything is back to normal…. Link put his hand to his head. He was sooo confused right now.

"well, come on you two. Breakfast is done. Then you guys can do whatever y'all want."

The whole time through breakfast Orin couldn't take his eyes off of Links pouty lips and the image of Link hyperventilating. Even now as he sat on the fence that surrounded the corral he couldn't get either image out of his head. The kiss was wonderful, his lips so soft and tender, his body trembling against his, his hands….whoa down Orin!

But also the image of him scared and hyper ventilating worried him…and his eyes… Those weren't the eyes of a hylian. His eyes were slitted and his body was much warmer than any Hylian would ever be without being sick. Could he be….? It could be possible since no one knows where he even came from. Even Zelda had told him that all that was known about link was that one day his mother came running into the kokiri forest and laid him at the feet of the great deku tree before she died. It was very possible but….he has no….

"Hey Orin."

He was broken out of his brooding by Links voice. It was shy and cautious, not like him. Orin looked him in the eye and saw his eyes were back to normal but they would glue themselves to the ground when ever he made eye contact with him. He knew why and it slmost pained him that link acted like that. He knew he should of just backed away but when link engaged the kis he just couldn't help himself…..

Orin had to shake himself of the memory. He could tell that link had something to ask him and gave him his full attention.

"Yeah?"

"You mind if I join you?"

"You don't have to act so shy. Its fine link."

"everything's fine then?"

Orin gave him a gentle smile.

"No worries."

Ah…there was that smile Orin missed as Link hopped up on the top rung that Orin sat on. There was a comfortable silence for a while before he felt the mood suddenly change. A tension rose and he looked over to Link who had a apprehensive look on his face. And it began to bother him. Normally he wouldn't pry but after what he had seen today he had too.

"Link, what's wrong?"

Link bit his lip and worried it a bit before he turned and looked into Orin's eyes concern present in his ever blue orbs.

"Is there something your not telling me?"

"what do you mean?"

"When I went to wake you, after you said a few broken words you….."

Link was earchign for the words. What had link seen?

"I what?"

"You changed."

"I changed?"

"Yeah, your eyes turned into the color of crystals, your hair turned white at the roots, your hands had turned into razor sharp claws and there were strange scales that covered your hands and your neck. You sat straight up and said some strange words…."

Orin nodded signaling he was listening as Link continued.

"Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Silver……but the mouth movements didn't match the words like your may have been speaking another language but for some reason I understood it…..A strong aura came off of you and suddenly I couldn't breath……"

"That's what caused the attack….. I'm sorry."

Damn…. It happened again.

"Don't' apologize. Just tell me why. Had this happened before?"

"Yes. It had happened a few times while I was in ganon's castle. Each time I did it he came in to try and pry out what secret I was hiding. He always though it was something to do with a great power but…."

"But what?"

"Well….I belive that he was part right but its not a power he can weild. I think it has something to do with what I am. I just can't remember."

"Oh. But I don't know why I had that strange reaction. Do you know?"

"I think I have a theory but……I have to look into it."

"What theory?"

"well-"

"Hey guys!"

Orin and link drew their attention to navi as she fluttered over to them to land on links shoulder.

"what's up Navi?"

"Zelda just sent me a message. She needs you to go to the Kokiri forest and talk to Saria. She has sensed some, Princess ruto is with her since similar things have been happening with her. They need the two of you there ASAP."

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There. My new chapter. Sorry it took so unbelievably long. I have had problems with my computer and my job has given me little time to work on it. I hope you like it and as always Zelda does not belong to me. I only own a copy of the game. R&R. Later.


	9. the fight

"Come on Orin! What, in the goddesses name is taking you so long!."

"Hold your horses link! This stuff isn't exactly the easiest to put on you know."

"What are you putting on anyway? A full suit of chain mail?"

"Sort of. But it's a lot lighter and a lot more skin tight. Not to mention it is a lot stronger than chain mail."

"Well hurry up! Saria will kill me if were late!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming!"

Link shifted the pack on his back as he waited in the living room. Navi sat on his shoulder just as impatiently as her master waiting for Orin. After Link had told him to grab a few weapons to defend against the stray monsters that were still wandering around Orin had insisted he wore his old armor. Link didn't have a problem with but he didn't expect him to take this long. What is this stuff made of…..rock?

"Hey Navi, could you give me a hand for a sec?"

"Sure Orin!"

Link watched as Navi flew under the crack in the door and disappeared.

"Wow Orin! That Armor looks great on you! Very sexy!"

"Thank you."

Link raised an eyebrow while Malon nearly choked on her glass of milk trying to chuckle. What was he putting on?

"could you help me with that catch there?"

"Yep. There ya go!"

"Thanks."

"No problem!"

Navi flew back out the door and floated excitedly in front of link's face.

"You should see that armor Link! It's so cool! It's like as tight as the armor Zelda used when she was masquerading as Sheik but it's made out of dragon scale! That stuff is said to be harder than stone and able to withstand a direct attack form a dragons claws! Nothing can get past that stuff! Not only that but it accentuates Orin's abs, his strong and toned legs, his gorgeous butt…."

"Navi!"

"what? It's not my fault your best friend is hot! I mean seriously! I betcha he had like a million girls after him before Gannon got a hold of him!"

"Who's what now?"

Link looked up the stairs to see Orin standing on the landing, a beautiful long black cloak flowing over his form. It covered everything form the neck down except a pair of very impressive black leather boots with a single jewel embedded into the side of each ankle. At the moment Link couldn't see what she was talking about but if they ran into any monsters he probably would.

"Navi is drooling over your new armor."

"Ah. Well we don't have time for that. Got everything?"

"Yep. You?"

"well, lets see…."

Orin grabbed his right leg, "Leg blade check,", Tapped his boot on the ground causing a blade to pop out the toe, "boot knife check," , Reached to his back, "chain blades and bow check," , ran his hands over his front, "throwing stars check,", reached to his hair, "ponytail darts check and finally…", he grabbed hold of the strap that laid across his chest below the cloak, "my trusty old pack check. Yep I got everything."

"Wow got enough knives?"

"Never can have too many."

"True. Well let's go."

"After you."

It didn't take them long to travel across the field, Epona and Adin running at full gallop the whole way, Epona having found a new strength she hadn't possessed before. With in moments they had traveled what normally took hours, and arrived at the gate to the kokiri forest. They dismounted the horses and left them to their own devices as they approached the large forest entrance.

Just before Orin went to walk across the threshold Link stopped him, putting his hand on Orin's chest. Link couldn't help but notice how truly solid the muscle underneath felt and the strangely smooth surface that sat beneath the cloak was oddly cool for this time of year. A rogue cloud covered the bright sun casting shade over them and he felt the armor warm slightly. When the cloud uncovered the sun the armor cooled again. What kind of armor adjusts temperature? Who was Orin?

"What?"

"I don't think you can enter."

"Why not?"

"Well….only the Kokiri can enter this place…"

"Than how can you?"

"I live there. And I grew up there."

"But your not a Kokiri…"

"I know."

"So if you can travel through here why shouldn't I?"

Link's eyes squinted. Why couldn't he? Now that he thought of it, the legend only talked about how the Kokiri couldn't leave and that if you got lost in the lost woods you would turn into a stall kid. And besides, he seemed to be able to take everything else with stride without all the tools he had needed to get through.

"I don't know…..but we can't risk it."

"Then what are we gonna do?"

"I don't know."

Silence reigned between them as they both racked there brains for an answer. Then, out of the blue….

"Hey link?"

"Yeah?"

"Your hand is still on my chest."

"Huh? Oh! Sorry."

Link hear Orin's chuckle and turned his face away in order to hide his reddening cheeks. He felt Orin's hand ruffle his hair as he walked toward the entrance.

"Well, I guess we will have to test out this unable to get in theory. Since you don't have the Ocarina of time anymore and can't teleport with that music of yours."

Orin took one step toward the entrance when suddenly a strong gust of wind came from out of nowhere nearly knocking him off his feet. When Orin looked up his eyes widened. Just above them, flying low enough to almost touch the tree's was a large green dragon, it's bat like arm wings flapping lazily as if it strength had been drained. It was a female by the look of it, since she flew right over his head. And by the blood near her sex organ, she gave birth recently. Approximately a month or less ago by Orin's fading knowledge.

It wasn't attacking, just gliding low over the tree's. too low for Orin's liking.

"Was that another dragon?"

"Yes Link."

"It didn't see us. It's not attacking like the other one was."

"It's because she is not being controlled. Dragons are normally docile creatures. They only time the become vicious is if they are attacked."

Orin stepped forward and felt the ground squish beneath his feet. He looked down and saw a small deep red pool on the ground, darker than any Hylian's blood, the liquid shining with untamed magic. That spot wasn't there before. And if she gave birth the blood would have stopped flowing after the children were already suckling. The green one's were one of two of the dragon's species that gave live births. The almighty silver being the other.

By the dragons! She was injured! She had been attacked!

"What is it Orin? Who's blood is that?"

"It's the dragon's. We have to hurry and get to the lost woods! That was were she was flying right?"

"Yeah."

"Then Come on link! Her dragon lings will die if we don't help her!"

"What? Dragon lings? How do you? Hey Orin, wait up!"

Orin felt a warm lover's embrace wrap around him as he crossed the threshold to what the Hylian's called the Kokiri forest. The forest seemed to know who he was and welcomed him with open arms, much to Link's worries. A flash of random information hit his head, telling him of how nature embraced his kind. He shook his head as the knowledge faded into the back of his mind. He was really having a hard time getting used to that.

He ran across the bridge and into a clearing that held within it a few small huts just big enough for children to live in. He continued to run until he ran across a group of small creatures. They all looked like children but he could sense their old aura's. He stopped abruptly at the group, one of the small children, a red head with an attitude stood in front of him. He stood with his hands on his hips unafraid of the giant man that stood before him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Easy Mido he's with me. We are here to see Saria. Where is she?"

"She's in the lost woods where else?"

"Thank you Mido. Come on Orin, the entrance is this way."

"Hey! I didn't say you could leave yet!"

"we have no time for your power trips Mido. We gotta get to the temple!"

They left the spitting and sputtering childlike being behind as they ran up the hill and through the entrance. Orin followed link through the many twists and turns that the forest held. He could now see why It was called the lost woods. One last series of dizzying turns later and they arrived in a clearing that led to what looked like a large maze. The light of day shown through the leaves of the tree's making the green leaves glow with it's light. It was a beautiful place, perfect for a green dragon to live.

Suddenly a strong smell permeated Orin's senses from all sides. He grabbed onto links cloak before he could race off. Something was here and it wasn't friendly.

"what is it Orin?"

"something is here. I can smell it."

"what is it?"

Orin sniffed the air, "It smells like….wet dog."

"Wolfo's. How many?"

Orin spread his hearing in all directions, the creature's had them surrounded.

"Six. Three for you, three for me."

"Sounds like a plan."

Orin tossed his cloak behind him then swung the cloak around his neck so it no longer covered his chest and arms but protected the lower half of his face and his shoulders.. With a flourish he grabbed the twin blades on his back and combined them at the hilt to make a dual blade swallow. He stood at the ready, waiting for the creature's to pounce.

Link stared. Orin was covered head to foot in black shining dragon scale armor that molded to his body like a second skin. It accentuated every curve, muscle and defined his whole body into that of a Sheikah warrior god. Long silver wisps of chain were wrapped around him in a cross pattern over what looked like an old tabard faded with time. If his fighting instincts weren't in full swing at the time Link, like Navi, would have been drooling.

"Like, what ya see link?"

"Yeah, can ya make me a set?"

Orin chuckled, "I if have enough skin when we get back."

"Yes!"

"Back to back Link. There coming. They mean to surround us."

Link nodded and lined his back with Orin's his sword and shield at the ready, waiting fro the Wolfo's to attack. The leaves rustled against the breeze, the birds chirped happily, the sun made spots on the ground where the sifted through the tree's. It was quiet. Only sound that could be heard was there hard breathing. A normal person would have though there was no danger and would have kept walking.

"You sure they are still here Orin?"

"Yes, Navi, they are still here. They are waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"They are waiting for us to separate Navi. I have heard of these kinds of Wolfo's before. They are much older and smarter than the ones me and you fought during our journey to defeat Gannon. But they aren't patient. We just have to wait for them to get impatient."

"and then we have them."

"Arooooooooo!"

"Well, that didn't take long."

"Usually doesn't."

Exactly six grey bearded Wolfo's jumped from the tree's surrounding the pair of warriors. Link held his sword and shield at the ready his eyes sliding to mere slits as he focused. Orin who was pressed formally to his back only smiled. The Wolfo's circled about three times sizing the two of them up. There was fear present In the air and it wasn't from Orin or link. These creatures knew who they were and were now realizing who they caught.

"Why aren't they attacking?"

"They had though we were normal Hylian's before they attacked."

"They didn't know before they jumped us?"

"Exactly. They are forming a plan of attack."

"Wolfo's know only one plan of attack."

"Not these one's I suspect. But I don't think they anticipated us going back to back like this."

"They expected to corner us."

"Yep."

"I guess we will have to wait until one attacks."

Suddenly one to the left jumped, Followed quickly by one to the right. In one fluid motion the two fanned out and swung there massive swords. Orin swung upwards gutting the creature, the blood and bile splashing his face and armor. Link thrusted his sword upwards, impaling the wolf onto his blade the blood covering his hands and the hilt of his sword. The dying wolfo made a swipe at him catching the side of his face, leaving light gash marks on his cheek.

The remaining wolfo's looked stunned as there comrades laid twitching and convulsing on the ground. Swiftly they regained there position back to back as they waited fro the other four. Neither had even broken a sweat. It had been as easy as breathing.

But They both knew what the wolfo's planned on next and prepared for it. Link dropped his old cloak letting it flutter to the ground, leaving him in the armor and leggings he had been known for, his hair tied back, a single braid hanging in front of his face that Malon had put in it this morning. He replaced his shield and sword and pulled out of his enchanted pack the one weapon he had kept from his adventures. The long and heavy claymore shone with the fire's of death mountain as he held it tight by two hands. It had been a while since the goron sword had tasted blood. And it was telling him it was long overdue.

Orin grabbed the middle of his blades and twisted, dislodging them from each other. He flipped them in his hands so the hilts faced outwards and then swung them to his back. A sound like clasps un hinging echoed through the air as the chains around his chest dropped to the ground, each end of the chain attached to his now glowing blades.

They both stood at the ready. Waiting. Light and dark, back to back just waiting.

They pounced all at once. Link swung in a wide arch as Orin let his blades fly. Each got one before they had to jump backwards. They separated and spread out along the clearing. More normal wolfo's arrived at the dying howl of one of the elders. Link cursed and Orin growled. The last two remaining elder wolfo's were dispatched by well placed strikes and beheading by spiked chain.

They stood back to back again, both of them covered in the blood of the elders. About six more wolfo's appeared again surrounding the two and continuously circling. Orin rolled his eyes as Link sighed heavily.

"What is it with these things and running around in a circle?"

"I don't know Orin."

"Well now what?"

"I dunno."

Suddenly Orin got an idea and a wicked smirk went across his face.

"Link?"

"Yeah?"

"When I tell ya to get down, you do so and don't get up until I tell ya."

"Why?"

"Just trust me."

"All right."

"Now!"

Link dropped to the ground and not a second later Orin's blades shot out to the east and west, the chains stretching out to their full lengths. He watched as Orin twisted whipping the chain blades around in a wide circle, slicing off the heads of every wolfo the blades could reach. With a twitch of the wrist he brought the blades back to his hands, the chains unhooking themselves and slithering back around his body like metal snakes.

"Okay, it's safe.", Orin said as wiped the blades off on his cloak.

Link got up and looked around the clearing wide eyed. The wolfo's bodies lied beheaded in the circle they had been running in. Not one wolfo had been spared. Wait…was that? Link turned around to see a single wolfo, sneaking up behind Orin. Link's bow was at the ready before it had time to blink, aimed right between the creature's eyes.

"Orin duck!"

Without even asking why he crouched low to the ground as Link let his trusty arrow fly. The wolfo had no chance. It cried in pain for only a second before it fell to the ground, the arrow embedded in it's skull right between the eyes. Link smiled at his handy work.

"well done." Orin said as he stood and unwrapped his cloak from around his shoulders.

"Thank you."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Both warriors gaze immediately shot towards the temple. The scream was followed by a long howl of pain. Link recognized the scream where as Orin recognized the bestial cry.

"Saria!"

"The dragon!"

A silent nod was all that went between them as they raced into the maze that hid the temple. Link wound through the passage ways as Orin jumped like a Sheikah to the top of the old bushes and ran across. Whatever had attacked the dragon was here. They had to hurry.

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It took a long time I know but I only get writing binges once in a while since most of my time is taken up by work. But here it is. Their first fight together. I own nothing but Orin. I made him up, he's mine.


	10. Memory of a love once lost

They ran to the entrance to the temple stopping just long enough for Orin to use his wings to fly up into the doorway with Link under his arm. Once they landed they took of again weaving and climbing their way to the temple's basement. The closer they got the colder it seemed to get and the more the scent of blood and monster filled the air. They were getting close, but when they opened the door to the basement room Link had fought Phantom Ganon those short few years ago he was left confused. There was blood on the ground but nothing was there.

Where's the dragon? Where did the dragon go? This is the place where the strongest concentration of magic would be isn't it?

"Link. Look up."

His eyes traveled upwards to find a hole on the ceiling. It led straight up past all three floors and into a fourth Link had never even known about. When did that get there?

"I was in here once before and I didn't even know that was there."

AS he stood there a drop of liquid landed on his face. He whipped the liquid with his hand to see red appearing on his gloves. Something sparked within him and a inhuman growl came out of him. It was a sound a normal Hylian could never make. He felt a rage, stronger than any rage he had ever felt well up in him like lava from death mountain. He ground his teeth and swore he felt his canines slid downward just a bit.

"Orin."

The gruffness of Link's voice threw him off guard. He could here a very dragon like growl behind it. But despite it having startled him it brought his full attention to Link with an unwavering stare.

"Aye." "Can you fly up there from here?"

"Yeah."

Link looked at him and the expression on his face sent a chill down his spine. The fire behind his eyes was not that of Hylian rage but that of a dragon's wrath. His blue eyes were burning and started to take on a green and topaz hue.

"There still up there. Fly me up." Orin couldn't argue with him. He grabbed Link around the waist from behind and spread out his wings. But just before he went to jump he felt something dig into his leg. What the hell? He looked down and saw something move ever so slightly near Link's tail bone. What the…? But Orin had no time to contemplate it. He could figure it out later.

"Up we go!"

The flight was short in and of itself but Link felt they couldn't get there soon enough. AS they sailed through the air he unsheathed his sword, the vision around his eyes turning red as they climbed. Once they were clear Orin dropped him. Link landed in a crouch his cloak billowing around him from the air current his fall caused. He straightened when he heard Orin roar as he hovered in the air.

"You bastards! How dare you attack a dragon!"

Link looked up and saw five large monsters he had never before seen in Hyrule. They looked like demons. Two of them had wings like Orin that he battled in the air. The other three looked like banshee's nearly transparent in their ghost like forms. One of the ghost like monsters held a red jewel in her hand like the one the Black dragon wore. Saria was using her magic to fight them off best she could but her strength had gone and she now was at their mercy. Five dragon lings laid at the feet of there injured mother one of them badly injured. Who could do this? Why?

It was then that rage boiled over and erupted. They had lost the black dragon and now they planned on taking this dragon mother to the same fate. He wasn't going to let that happen.

A bloodlust roar ripped out form Link's lungs as he charged. Fire burned through his veins searing him from the inside out. He could feel his eyes burn and his hands feel as if they were being ripped apart from the inside. His vision went red as he could feel his logical mind recede. By the time he got to the apparitions all he could think about was protect, kill, destroy.

Orin flew and dodged as the winged gargoyle like creatures came at him. He hissed and growled as they swung and clawed at him. One swung hitting a wing but not enough to prevent flight. Orin grabbed his bow from his back and cocked two arrows onto the string. The gargoyles swung at him again one from each side but Alex was able to twist out of it. Again and again they came at him but there clumsy aerial flight was no match for his flight mastery. Orin kept his bow at the ready as he corrected his position. But once he was stable and looked up he saw one of the gargoyles missing. A scream announced he saw one of the tiny dragon lings in the things claws. He flew to the other one who held it out as if in ransom. Hmm… they had some semblance of intelligence it seemed. But they underestimated him.

Damn! Link swung again his sword going right through it. They laughed at him as he kept trying to swing. The monsters bodies were like mist and vapor, no matter how hard he swung he couldn't lay a mark on them. There sing song voices flitted about him as they laughed and circled around him. By din! How did you kill these creature's?

"You tired out youngling? You can't kill us with that blade. It is useless."

Link watched as she hung her head back and laughed. A second joined in the taunting from behind as he hunched over, his breathing severely labored from carrying such a heavy weapon.

"We will take this dragon back to master dead or alive. And you can't stop us."

It was when the second one laughed he noticed it. There was a red jewel that appeared in their neck just beneath the jaw line when they laughed or stood still. As long as they kept moving you couldn't see it but when they were still… That had to be it. A wicked grin went across his face as he reholstered his two hander for a simple dagger he had gotten from Mallon to help cut herbs with.

"Aww…you giving up already youngling? Your not much fun."

"We will see how much fun you have in the after life banshee."

Link lunged forward and stabbed the dagger into the jewel like organ. His body fell through but the dagger remained. The demon screamed as the red jewel shattered. Soon all that was left was the shattered pieces that burst into flame and disappeared. One down two to go.

Orin hovered with his bow at the ready. Despite they were smart enough to use the young dragon ling as a shield they were not smart enough to protect there obvious weak spot. If they had kept moving it would be difficult to hit it but when they just hovered there like proud idiots it was easy. Two arrows, one shot.

In the blink of an eye the arrows flew. They shown silver as they streaked across the air and embedded themselves right into the red crystals in-between there eyes. The monsters screamed and crumbled the young dragon ling falling towards the ground. It squealed for a moment as it shot downwards but not for very long. The small dragon flipped his body over and spread out newly formed but capable wings. He flapped them a few times and stopped in mid air and hovered. Orin smiled. Oh good. He was going to be fine.

A scream alerted him to Link's fighting. He looked down near where the mother dragon rested and he couldn't believe his eyes. A bright and fiery aura surrounded Link. Gold and green flames had erupted around his feet and hands, green streaks ripped through his blonde hair. Gold marks appeared under his eyes as Link roared. Those were marks of one of his race. How could?

When link rose his sword above his head, Orin's mind went reeling. Another memory appeared before his eyes as he hovered there. This time he was young again but about the age of ten. And someone was with him.

_He was playing with a young blonde haired boy with mismatched eyes of topaz and green. They were laughing and chasing each other around with swords playing knights. And when Orin caught him they fell to the ground the two of them snuggling into each other laughing even harder. AS the memory faded he heard the young boy's voice…_

"_We will always be together won't Orin? Promis me."_

"_We will always be together Lorin, I swear it."_

"Lorin…"

A tear ran from his cheek down to his chin. A deep wave of sadness came over him when he heard that name. He couldn't remember much beyond that but he could feel a deep connection with the person in his vision. And when he looked at Link, he saw that boy fully grown. He looked exactly like what that boy would look like as an adult. Could Link somehow be a descendent? Or maybe he was him and had lost his memory. But that couldn't be right. He grew up here.

"Orin look out!"

Huh? He turned around to see a third gargoyle had appeared form now where and was heading right for him. The beast was too close to dodge, he was going to get hit. And it would be a near mortal wound by the looks of it. Of all the times too space out.

Link had his bow cocked and ready by the time he had yelled. He knew Orin wouldn't be able to avoid it. With out a second thought he aimed and let it fly. The arrow shot straight and true, causing the gargoyle to crumble just before it's claws reached Orin's skin. Shortly after the gargoyle crumbled, Orin dropped to the ground. Link saw him fall and went running praying to the goddesses that he hadn't been to late.

But by the time he had gotten there Orin was already standing.

"Are you all right Orin?"

Orin held his head the room still spinning form that last sudden vision.

"Orin, are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just had a vision is all."

"What triggered it?"

"You actually?"

"Me?"

Orin looked up to look Link in the eye and his eyes widened. His irises had changed color. They now matched the color of the boy in his vision. He stared. How could Link be… How could it be possible…

"Orin, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh. Sorry."

"You have been real spacey lately are you sure you all right? You don't have some sickness you forgot about do you?"

Orin shook his head.

Link put his hand on Orin's shoulder. The warmth form his hand burned through his clothes and latched to his skin effortlessly. Orin looked as Links hand. His nails had lengthened. A Hylian's skin and hands don't do that. The pieces were starting to form in his mind. Now all he needed was the glue to put them together.

"Link! Come here!"

Link turned to Saria who held one of the dragon lings in her arms.

"Can you heal him?"

It's small wings were laying boneless his body laid lifeless. There was a large wound in it's shoulder that was deep enough to touch it's heart. A deep sadness rose up in link, stronger than he ever knew. A tear ran down his cheek at seeing the small dragon ling laying there. Link shook his head slowly.

Link took the small dragon from her arms and held it in his, his tears falling onto the young dragons body. He looked to the dragon lings mother who was holding the rest of them, tears in her eyes as well. But when he turned to Orin the look on his face nearly broke his heart. Orin's fists were clenched together tears streaming down his face like rivers. The sadness that link felt was mirrored in his tall and strong companion. There was a shaky silence for a moment before Orin's voice broke it.

"Such an innocent should never have to suffer like that. "

Link looked down to the young dragon and began to cry. He pulled the young one's body close to his almost as if he himself were the mother. He didn't know why he felt so sad. He knew to have a child die was a sad event but he felt almost as if this was his child. He could feel how the mother felt. But dragon's couldn't cry. So he was crying for her.

He felt Saria's small arms wrapping around his waist as she to cried. Orin looked on seeing him cry so sincerely. Memories came again but this time only information. Lorin had been like that, his mind said. He had the gift of mourning. He could feel and mourn for those that couldn't. And that was what link was doing.

Orin walked over and wrapped his arms around Link and the small dragon. He couldn't stand seeing Link like that. Even if his mind only played tricks and he wasn't truly the one his heart and mind told him he was, he didn't want to see his only true friend in this state.

Link continued to mourn, Orin's welcome warmth eased it some what. He knew he shouldn't be here crying. He should be preparing a proper burial for this young creature, but, he just couldn't stop. He felt his soul shattering apart even though he knew it wasn't his own. He was feeling the mother's pain. But he let it come anyways. He ran his fingers gently along the small creator's cool scales as Saria went to tend to the mother. He was so sick of evil. There was no point in it.

"I will prepare the burial."

Orin's voice was sad and cracked with holding back tears. Link had a feeling that once Orin reached outside he would start to ball. It was the aura he had gotten off of him the first time they met.

Link nodded in acknowledgement. But just as Orin got a couple steps away Link felt something. His hand had rested on the dragon's chest and he felt something. It was a spark, a warm faint warmth with a low faint pulse. And as he kept his hand there he began to feel the smallest thread of life with in the small form. Link's heart stopped. He was alive!

"Orin wait!"

He heard Orin run hurriedly back to him as he knelt on the ground and laid the dragon out in front of him on the cool stone. Link looked up to see the mother looking at him with fearful anticipation. Saria had hope shining in her eyes.

"What is it Link?"

"I felt something. When my hand rested on his heart I felt a faint energy pulsing through him. It was very faint but there. "

"You mean…?"

"He is still alive but only just."

"What are you going to do?"

Link looked up at Orin a smile on his face.

"I am going to heal him. Stand back. I need a bit of room for this."

The look of confusion that crossed Orin's face would have been confusing hadn't it been he had to work quickly. Link shrugged off his cloak and gloves and held his hands out over the dragon's body. If there was a life force he could heal him. But with this extensive damage he wasn't sure what it was going to do to himself. It had been a long time since he had used this secret ability of his. It was the main thing other than not having a fairy that caused the Kokiri to stay away from him.

Link closed his eyes and focused on the small thread of life left in him. He kept his mind focused on it and the thought of making it grow. The familiar warmth of this power surged through his system starting from his own heart and out onto his hands. He could feel the tendrils of magic reach out from his finger tips and into the baby dragon nurturing and coaxing the small bead of energy into growing.

Link began to shake as he felt his own energy wane as the magic continued to feed the dragons weak body. But just as Link's concentration began to wane and his body lost all of his strength the bead began to grow on it's own. Link sighed in relief as it began to grow larger and stronger on it's own. But link kept the connection. He had to make sure it wasn't going to leave the moment he let go. So he continued, even though he knew afterwards he wasn't going to be able to walk out of here.

Suddenly he heard a sound. It was a groan coming in the direction of the small dragon. He opened his eyes and saw the small creature stirring, his wound completely healed. The young dragon slowly opened his eyes and let out a tired squeak signaling he was now amongst the living again. Link sighed and let go of the connection, the white tendrils of his magic receding back into his body. Link was conscious long enough to see the small dragon roll over and wobbly stand before his vision went black.

Orin sat next to Link's bed at Lon Lon ranch a million things rolling through his head. Pieces were start into fall into place but at the same time still not coming together fully. So many things that he had seen recently have answered many of his questions, but left more to be answered. For example, Link's healing ability. Despite his wavering memory his instinctive knowledge told him not a single hylian could heal like that without a spell or potion handy. And the way his hair and eyes changed color like that, no Hylian was capable of such feats. And no Hylian can detect the energy of a dying dragon so close to death's door as he did. So obviously Link wasn't a Hylian.

But the problem was what he was. All the signs pointed to one of Orin's race which could be possible since the only thing known about his arrival was a young woman, assumed to be his mother, brought him to the Kokiri forest for safe keeping and left him under the care of the great Deku tree. Beyond that no one knew of his origins.

And even worse, ever since that one memory surfaced another possibility had arisen. Maybe he had know him before even they first met. But if that was the case then link would be over 300 years old. But he couldn't be that old. He was born ad raised here in Hyrule. And Navi said that he had celebrated his 21st birthday last month. The only way he could be the same one was if he had been cursed with a time rewind spell that turned him into a baby. But the only one who knew that spell disappeared almost 500 years ago. Navi had told him so.

So what the hell was going on? And where did those monsters come from? Those aren't Hyrule monsters. There smell was off. By the dragons! He was just going around and around in circles.

"Gah! What in the dragons name is going on?"

"What's…wrong?"

Orin turned to see Link's sleepy blue eyes looking at him the full moon reflecting dully in his eyes. He looked fragile in that moment. His body was covered up to the chin in blankets, his eyes had dark circles underneath them and his normally gorgeous tan skin had gone pale. That healing ability had taken a lot out of him. Orin smiled. Link was fragile but at the same time strong. So much like the one from his fading memory.

Orin rested his hand on Link's warm forehead and pushed it back through Link's disheveled blonde mane. He cleared his thoughts form his mind as Link looked up at him with those large puppy like eyes. By the dragons he was beautiful. Even when eh looked like he was about to break.

"It's nothing Link. You get back to sleep."

"It didn't….sound…like…nothing."

"It doesn't concern you link. Now get some rest."

Orin removed his hand from Link's soft hair and stood. But when eh started to head toward the door, link's voice made him stop.

"Liar."

Orin turned around and stared at him for a moment unblinking. Link just looked back with an all knowing smirk.

"What do you mean?"

"I could see it in your eyes. That look of confusion behind your concern of my well being."

Orin sighed and sat back on the stool next to his bed, knowing now link wasn't going to go back to sleep until he got answers. He knew that particular tone of voice.

"You are the observant one."

"You know something about what is happening to me. And don't tell me you don't."

Orin sighed, "I have my suspicions. But, I don't know for sure. All evidence points to it but I am still confused as to how."

"Orin?"

He felt a cold hand rest on his and he looked down. There rested Link's right hand, but instead of Hylian skin it was the soft flesh scales of a draconic in his human form. Orin ran his hand along the back of Link's feeling the soft human like skin the scales mimicked but not completely.

"Link…"

"I noticed it earlier today when I got up to get a drink of water. And I am having strange dreams. I have been having them ever since you returned to your original form and that day we…"

Orin watched as Link's face grew the palest shade of pink.

"I remember. Mallon bumped into us with that milk jug."

"Yeah…"

Suddenly Link winced. He hissed through his teeth.

"What's wrong?"

"My hand hurts."

"The one I am holding onto?"

Link nodded.

Orin took it into his hands and began to rub gently with his fingers. He started at the base near the wrist and worked his way slowly up the palm. Link's skin was soft, to soft for the career he had, had as a swordsman and savior of Hyrule a product of the scales in his skin. There was no doubt about what Link was. But how he lasted so long without even turning was a mystery.

Orin slowly massaged Link's hand his skin soon becoming addicting. He watched as Link's body relaxed and his eyes slid down to half mast as he drew his hand closer to his face. Orin knew what he was doing. He knew he should stop. But he couldn't.

The moment Orin's lips touched Link's hand a vision flashed in front of Link's eyes. The bed he was resting in melted away. The room he was staying changed into a green forest and the man sitting in front of him became royalty. He knew this place somehow. He knew this moment. And it replayed before him.

"_Your majesty…"_

_The man looked exactly like Orin but with gold filigree adornments in his hair. His white robes held the same filigree on it, the light fabric floating around him making him seem almost surreal. His deep blue orbs were rimmed with silver and looked at him lovingly as he kissed his hand._

_Linkwas clothed in green armor his hair tied back. The armor was formfitting to allow movement but strong enough to stop all melee blows and most magic. A long sword was hung on his side as a deep green cape flowed back from his shoulders._

"_I told you Lorin never to call me that while we are alone."_

"_But you are a--"_

"_It does not matter. I am the youngest of eight. I doubt I will be crowned anytime soon."_

"_Your still royalty while I am a commoner. Not even a knight to anyone. No one wants a half breed for a knight."_

"_Your wrong."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_He took him into his arms pulling him close. He trembled having his secret crush so near to him._

"_It was the whole reason I brought you out here. I want you to be my Knight Lorin. That way, you will always be by my side. I promised you I would not leave you and I intend to keep it."_

_He closed his eyes as Orin leaned in._

"_Orin…"_

"_Lorin…"_

When the vision cleared they knew they had both shared it. The vision had made Link sit straight up in bed and when his eyesight cleared his hand was still in Orin's grasp. He looked to Orin who had stopped his ministrations. Link didn't want him to stop. His body was screaming for more of Orin's touch. He grabbed Orin's hand and placed it on his chest, Links hand reaching to rest against his neck. He felt Orin start to pull him close and his body trembled.

The longing only those that had known each other before drew them together. Their souls knew each other even if there minds hadn't yet caught up. Their hearts were pounding, their skin burning. Their body's yearning and longing for each other. And as there eyes drew closed and there lips were mere moments form touching they realized they were drowning.

"Link, I don't know what I am doing…"

"Neither do I…"

"AHHHHHHH!"

The moment was shattered to pieces by Mallon's scream and shortly after the whole place shook after a violent explosion. A loud intake of air and another explosion signaled an all to familiar fighting style.

"What in din's fire was that?" Link yelled.

Orin ran to the window and what he saw he couldn't believe. Out on the edge of the ranch was a young fire dragon being ridden by a bunch of goblin looking monsters. The dragon was setting fire to the stables where Epona and Adin where shacked up for the night.

Without a second thought Orin ran towards the door, grabbing his gear as he went.

"Orin what is going on?"

"We are under attack."

"I am going with you!"

Orin turned around and pushed Link back onto the bed.

"No, you are still too weak. You must stay here."

"But Orin!"

"Stay!"

Link watched as Orin ran outside to help Mallon. But after sitting in the bed for a mere moment he ran to the window. When he saw the dragon he froze. By Naryu! Why re they attacking here! Suddenly the dragon locked eyes with him and shortly after that a fireball was thrown at the window. Link ran from the window but the impact of the fire ball hitting the side of the house knocked him off is feet and onto the floor. He slid across the floor until his back hit the door. The fall had jerked his back and caused whatever was causing the initial pain to grow worse. He hissed but got up. His instincts overriding his logic.

He had to help. He couldn't just lie there.

Damn! There are so many of them! Hack! Slash! Grind! Twist! Hack! Slash! Damn it! They just keep coming! Orin continued fighting, killing wave after wave of the creatures. They kept coming. NO matter how many he cut down it seemed two took their place. Where in all the dragon's were they coming from?

Thunk. Ugh! A sharp pain in Orin's right shoulder alerted him to an injury. He looked down to see an arrow embedded in his shoulder. But as he stared at it he felt his mind go into a daze and his strength fade. The white shaft and black feathers of the arrow suddenly became familiar. When he pulled it out the red arrow head marked it as a draconic arrow. The only element in Hyrule or anywhere that could weaken one of his kind. Oh crud….

Orin's vision began to blur as the venom the stone produced while in their system kicked in. He fell to his knee's his mind slowly turning to mush as it seeped into his veins. Soon he would be paralyzed and shortly after that he would pass out. The stuff wouldn't kill him so that meant they wanted him alive. For what he didn't know.

The last thing Orin remembered before all went black was seeing link run out of the house in only his breeches, just before he was hit in the back of the head by one of the goblins. Orin reached out to him as his vision turned black. He knew this scene had played before but he just couldn't remember where.


	11. What secrets we hold nor can remember

I do not own the legend of zelda franchise. The copyright goes to nintendo and the progammers and artists who came up with it. But i do own the oc chrecter Orin. he is my creation as is his horse. okay, now that we have that out of the way so i don't get thrown in jail, enjoy!

* * *

"Do you have him?"

A large red crystal shimmered with the faded image of one of the goblins covered in a complete set of armor. The green skin was cracked from the harsh desert winds it was traveling through and long thick strands of drool dropped from it's massive under bite. It snorted before it spoke.

"Yes mistress, we have him. He lay still on back of dragon."

"At last. Now we can draw the King out. Bring him to the castle and be quick about it."

"Yes mistress."

The image faded. A wicked smile a creped across violet stained lips, petite fangs just barely peeking form out behind them.

"Once I have the king in my grasp I will have what those Draconic's are hiding….."

The woman then turned around, her violet and black garments swishing across the stone floor as she turned.

"Now as for you Ganon. You know the price of failure."

_The violet color of the draconic tree blossoms surrounded his green robed form. He was waiting for him. Tears were in his eyes dreading the meeting but it had to be done. He hated it. He clutched the dragon tooth pendent Orin had given him to his chest. By the dragons….why him? He wasn't even born into it. Why?_

_"Lorin? You wished to speak with me? Are you all right?"_

_He shook his head, rubbing his eyes quickly as he did so. He felt Orin's arms warp around him but the touch burned._

_"What's wrong? What happened?"_

_He pulled away from his embrace. If he felt his touch now he would never be able to do it. He took a deep breath and turned to face him. The worry in his deep blue eyes made the tears flow more. Never again would he be able to see the light in those eyes. Never again would he feel his touch. How cruel a trick the fates had played on him. _

_He looked down and grabbed Orin's hand and placed the necklace into his outstretched palm. He didn't pause to linger or his strength would be undone._

_"Lorin? What's going on?"_

_His heart split in two as the sadness laced his voice. _

_"I'm sorry Orin….But I can't be your Knight anymore."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"The fates are always cruel to me…and now I must live alone…for the good of the clan."_

_He walked around him and began to walk away. He had tried to hide it form them but when they went to punish him for "trying to assassinate" Orin, they had spotted it on his right side just above his hip. He was disgusted with himself but he had no choice. He had been born with the mark and they had found it. He tried to keep the sadness out of his form but it was a losing battle. He had to leave before he ran back to him. Before he changed his mind and put the whole clan in danger. Sacrifice the one for the all. It was there way._

_"Wait Lorin!"_

_He turned around despite himself._

_"Please don't make this harder on me Orin."_

_"They found out didn't they?"_

_At first he was taken aback by what Orin knew but then shook it aside. It was foolish not to think he wouldn't notice during their intimate nights together._

_"Yes."_

_Orin walked over to him a serious expression on his face. He stood there for a few moments, and then bent down on one knee his head bowed. _

_"Then instead of you being mine, I wish to be yours."_

_Lorin's heart stopped and his breath caught in his chest. His hand grabbed at the embroidered fabr4ic near his heart as tears began anew. No, he couldn't let him. He valued his freedom so highly. His ability to go when and where he pleased that his oldest brother did not have. He couldn't take that away from him. He was too young to have to sacrifice his life for such a task. Lorin himself was used to such things at his age but Orin… _

_"You know what that means Orin? Are you willing to throw away your freedom for a half breed like me? A lowly mud vein?"_

_Smack! The sting from the strike shocked him, and the anger in Orin's eyes made him speechless._

_"Don't you ever call yourself that again! You are more noble and more faithful than any draconic I know. I don't care what blood runs through your veins, only that mine can't live without it. I will not loose you. Not ever."_

"Link…Link….Link!"

Link moaned as he woke to consciousness. The depression of the dream faded as his eyes opened. It was dawn. Smoke and ash permeated the atmosphere. Parts of the house still smoldered, half the stables were nothing but burning ashes, a few of the horse's corpses laid in the pasture, either horribly burned or half eaten. He couldn't see Epona or Adin. And most of all he couldn't see Orin.

Malon's face was red with tears and heat exhaustion from the flames. Her eyes were puffed up from crying over the killed horses and destruction the ranch had sustained. And even as he looked at her tears were still running. It broke his heart to see the ranch and his best friend in such states.

"Oh link, your all right! When I saw you lying there I feared the worst. Are you okay?"

A throb in the back of his head reminded him of how he had gotten here. And subsequently why.

"I am fine. Where's Orin, have you seen him? And Epona is she all right/"

"Epona and Adin ran after the attackers shortly after I found you. The monsters had dragged off Orin. They must have gone to save him."

"I have to go too!"

Link stood quickly. Then just as quickly fell back down. Din it all! He was still weak from using his skill.

"You are in no shape to go out all hero of time on the march. And besides you don't even know where they took him! Let's wait until Epona and Adin get back. Maybe they will have some answers."

"You are right. I guess…"

"Come on. Help me bury the horses. I can't just let them rot out there."

"Yeah."

Bright…So hot…where…was he? Orin's eyes slowly opened, a burst of pain exploding in his head as the harsh light assaulted it. His body was sore from whatever he was lying across, He couldn't move his arms or legs. He could feel the rope binding them. He could here the grunt's and snorts of the goblins…not to mention their noxious scent.

Once his eyes focused he realized he was riding on the back of the dragon that had attacked the ranch. And from where he was he could see the red jewel embedded in it's forehead. It was being controlled. Just like the black one.

He looked around to find he was in some kind of dessert. A large mountain shaped into the image of a priestess was in the distance and it appeared that was where there destination was located. This place looked familiar.

By the dragons….how did he get hi8mself into these messes? He had to escape. He had to get back. Link was waiting for him and probably worrying himself to death. But how? Think, Orin, Think!

"Hey boss, he wake up."

"We almost there. The poison will last long enough to put him in the seal."

Seal? Oh no. Not good. That will render him defenseless. But wait…these are goblins…they are stupid… Dragon's breath they are going to screw it up. Well they won't be alive much longer and he was going to have one massive migraine after it too. Great. This is go0nna hurt.

They dragged his body roughly off the dragon, throwing him to the ground. The impact was hardly felt for the poison made his body pretty numb, but he swore he heard something crack. They dragged him through the hot sand, a few pieces of the stone getting in his mouth. They tossed him yet again onto a hard rocklike surface carved into the symbol of the spirit medallion. They chained his hands and feet to the pedestals on either side and forced him up onto his knee's. They had only cut his ropes after they attached the chains. They were smarter than the average goblin. But Orin knew it still wasn't going to end well…for them.

"What do we do know boss?"

"We cast this spell on him so his powers don't work. It very painful for one of his kind."

"Poor thing. Oh well, It is mistresses' orders. So where is the spell?"

"I have's it right here."

The big iron clad goblin pulled out a rolled up sheet of paper and began reading it. But because of his massive under bite he spoke the words wrong. Or it might have been he forgot the incense that is suppose to suppress the defense mechanism. And as always they screwed something up.

The glyph began to glow a bright green color as it was activated. Orin tried to pull on the chains but he was to weak. The light erupted from the ground and sank into his form but instead of leaving him to take away his abilities it triggered something inside of him. It triggered the first phase transformation. his dragon side forced it's way to the surface.

A fiery wrath boiled up from inside that burned and seared it's way through his normal human façade. He became angry and feral and tore against the chains that bound him to the stone. The pain was welcoming as he felt his tail bone extend and his wings violently rip out from his back, the feather's molting off and floating on the wind like black rain. His front teeth he could feel elongate and sharpen as his skin hardened and a pair of wicked back horns grew from his forehead. A roar of pain erupted form him as his knee's reversed themselves.

He had to kill…they had to be silenced…bad men…no live…kill…

The chains snapped from the stone as he stood and the goblins started running.

"Link! should you really be doing this?"

Mallon pulled on his green cloak as he threw his saddle on Epona.

"I have to Mallon. I am the only one who can save him."

"Your not in any shape to travel! You could barely lift the body of that new colt that died. Do you really think you can waltz into the dessert and survive?"

Link turned towards her and put his hands on either side of her face. He knew she was worried about him but he wasn't going to leave Orin out there at the mercy of whatever those things were.

"It is not my first time traveling through the dessert Mallon. And besides I can pick up some potions and fairies on the way. I know a few places. Don't worry. I will be fine."

Mallon sighed, "All right. I know I can't stop you once you put your mind to it. Just be careful okay? Your like a brother to me."  
"I know. I will send navi to let you know how I am."

"Yep! I am his own little messenger."

Link hopped up onto Epona. Mallon rested her hand on his leg.

"Now, go rescue your man!"

"My what?"

Smack! Epona took off toward the gate before Link had any time to contemplate what she said.

After a steady does of potions and a fairy or two Link was ready and raring to go by the time he hit the desert. He got through the dessert in record time and was there before the sandstorm had even torn his clothes. But there was something in the air. He could feel it as he approached the entrance to the valley of the spirit temple. And when he got in sight of it, his eyes nearly bugged out of his skull.

"By the goddesses…" Navi whispered.

"whoa." Echoed Link.

There was blood…a lot of blood. Ripped corpses of a squadron of goblins were strewn across the landscape like a painting of war. There was one long scorch mark along the ground as if a large dragon had breathed a stream of intense flame. There wee bodies impaled on pikes, slash marks from massive claws covered many of the bodies, and a few decapitated corpses appeared as if the necks had been chewed through.

"Who or what could have done this?"

"I don't know Nav."

Link walked in awe through the carnage.

"What could have done this Link? A dragon?"

"No. The marks aren't big enough."

"A wolfo?"

"It still wouldn't explain the scorched earth though…"

"hey link, what are those tracks?"

Link looked to where she was pointing and indeed saw tracks, ones he had never seen. When eh kneeled down to look at them he saw a dragons foot but with a hylian shape to it. Alongside of them were the bigger tracks of a dragon…red by the scorched earth around it. There was a dragon here but it wasn't what caused this. And the tracks next to it looked familiar. Lizalfo's had similar footprints, but then again it wouldn't explain the scorch marks on the ground. Then suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Orin…"

"What do you mean Link? Are you saying he could have done this?"

"Well he had said once that is race was born from dragons. And legend tells of a race that had dragon like qualities but the shape of Hylian's. If he is part of this race it would explain why the marks are from such a low source."

Link continued to look around. He scanned each body for something he could recognize. It was like a monster had ran rampant through here. And with each passing moment he prayed to the goddesses that not one of them would be carrying Orin's face.

"hey link, what is that the goblin is holding/"

Link looked down to the corpse of an armored goblin with a severe under bite. In his greasy claw was a scrap of black cloth. Link plucked it from his hand and held it up to his face. It had the Lon lon ranch symbol stitched into the fabric. This was a piece of Orin's shirt he had borrowed from Malon's father. And what's this? A feather? Link recognized these. They were from Orin's wings. He was here.

The ground suddenly shook and a blast of heat erupted right next to where Link stood. He withdrew his sword as he turned around. When he did there was a young red dragon standing right in front of him. Link went to strike but a voice in his head stopped him.

"Peace! I am friend!"

Link stood there his sword poised over his head but his face was etched with confusion. He blinked, then blinked again trying to comprehend what he just heard. When he focused on the dragon he saw it was in a submissive peaceful stance. He wasn't there to fight. Link slowly lowered his sward still a little confused.

"Are you the one the guardian calls Link?"

"My name is link."

"Good. He waits for you in temple. He told me to guard temple until you came. Be careful though. He is scared and wary, prone to attack. Enter peacefully."

"The guardian?"

"You may know him as Orin."

Link took in a breath and his eyes widened.

"Is he all right?"

"To me fine. To him not fine."

Link hugged the dragon.

"Thank you friend."

"welcome!" The dragon squeaked with a childlike smile.

Link took off toward the temple, jumping over ripped remains and charred corpses Navi holding on for dear life in his hair. Once he got to the entrance he stopped and turned to her.

"Navi, go tell Mallon I have found him and that I am fine. Let her know we should be back soon. And don't forget to inform Adin."

"All right!"

Navi zoomed off into the distance. He would need to be alone with him anyway. Navi might scare him if he is in such a fragile state as the dragon described. Link took the first tentative step into the temple and looked around. He could feel someone watching him, studying him. He knew someone was there, but where he couldn't pinpoint.

"Orin? Are you here?"

He heard what sounded like something flying through the air above him. He looked up but it was gone.

"Orin? It's me Link. Are you all right?"

He heard it again, the sound of wings flapping. It came from behind him. He turned but could see nothing but shadows. But a second later, he saw a shadow near the staircase move. He squinted and found he could make out the shape of someone. It looked like someone in a long cloak.

"Orin? Is that you?"

Link began to walk forward.

"Stay."

The voice was gruff but he could recognize it. It was Orin's but it sounded like he was losing his voice. Link stopped.

"Orin, it's me. I'm Link remember."

"I see Link. I know Link."

Something wasn't right. Link could feel it. He tried to step forward again as he saw one side of the cloak move.

"Are you hurt Orin? I can help if you are."

"Stay! You no see me."

Link froze. The voice was violent.

"Why?"

No response, but Link swore he saw something move behind the shadow. Was that a snake or a tail?

"Why Orin? Why can't I see you?"

"Not same. Want attack…but…no attack."

The voice was worried but not for himself..

"What happened Orin?"

"I…changed. Can't think…mind feral…I don't trust me. It hurts."

"The change hurts?"  
"No. Not change. Leg. Leg hurts. And arm. And wing."

"Your injured?"

"Yes."

Link took steps toward him again. "Orin I can help. I have bandages and some herbs I picked up from a witch in Kakariko. I can help."

"NO! stay! Must control. Too dangerous."

"What can't you control?"  
"Me."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

There was a pause.

"Play."

"My ocarina?"

"Yes."

Link nodded and pulled his ocarina out of his pack. He laid the pack on the ground and looked back towards Orin.

"Anything specific you wish me to play?"

There was another pause.

"Noc..nook…grrr…shadow song."

Link nodded and put the ocarina to his lips. It took him a moment to remember the notes but once he began to play it came back to him. The mysterious tones wafted through the room echoing off the sandstone walls. The tension in the room slowly died as Link repeated the song over and over. When he finally felt the atmosphere fade completely he played it through and then stopped. Link smiled and he caught his breath, having forgotten how much he had used to enjoy playing.

"Orin, did it help?"

"Yes. I okay now."

"Are you going to come out now?"

A grunt was his answer and with a limp began to walk into the light. His right leg appeared first, his knee's reversed so he seemed constantly crouched. Black dragon scales raced up the sides of his leg, his natural skin tone shining between them. The scales traveled farther up as he stepped further into the light, lining both sides of his chest and the sides of his face. His hands were now massive claws, razor sharp and deadly, the same shape as a dragons. His feet mimicked the tracks he had seen on his way in. A long black tail whipped back and forth a massive blade shaped like and axe was attached to the end made out of what seemed like his own bones. His dark wings no longer had feathers, one stretched out behind him, the other limp obviously injured, and carried the form of dragon wings.. A pair if thick black horns ran backwards from his forehead, lining the top of his skull and the back of his neck. And his eyes hovered beneath them, now a deep red dragons eyes.

The visage before him didn't scare link at all. The half dragon that stood before him seemed almost familiar, like he had seen this before. The scales on his skin shown brilliantly, though they were covered in blood, most of it from the goblins he had seen outside. He stood strong and powerful despite the injuries Link could see. It was an amazing site.

He walked up to Orin slowly, wanting to feel the scales on his skin. When he reached out to him Orin backed away, still leery of him. Whatever this change was it had made his mind closer to a feral animal or a un trusting child.

"It is all right Orin. I won't hurt you. I promise."

Link reached out again, Orin backing away but his hand followed. He didn't pull away far and after the third time he finally allowed him to touch him. Link ran his fingers along his jaw and neck feeling the scales there. They were cool and smooth like a whetstone, not rough like they appeared to be. It was a feeling that felt strangely familiar. Like he had felt these scales before…on himself.

Link felt him relax under his fingertips and looked up to see his eyes drift shut like a cat who's chin you were scratching. A loud purr sounded soon after as Link's hand caressed higher along the side of his face near his sharply pointed ears. Link smiled.

Suddenly the world around them melted and another vision came before his eyes. This time Orin didn't change, only him. They were in a cave and he was dressed in the armor again as in previous ones.

_Orin was cowering in a corner tears running down his face. He watched himself kneel before him in the state Orin was currently in. Orin was shaking, blood trickling down his skin from various wounds on his body And he was young, much younger than he was now.. He reached out to Orin who jumped back looking at him suspiciously._

_"Orin, I won't hurt you. It is all right."_

_"You…know…me?"_

_"How can I not? You are royalty. Why do you hide here?"_

_"They hurt me. I am black dragon. I am evil. They hurt me."_

_He sighed as he reached out and tipped up Orin's chin._

_"Let me be the judge of that. They say a dragons eyes tell you everything about them. And it is the same with our kind."_

_He stared into Orin's eyes for a while studying them. The red was there but the evil that was synonymous with a black dragon was not. The black dragons never started out evil, it was when they lost control of their ability was when they became that way. And that was a danger to all of them. _

_He saw within him a great capacity for passionate love and the need to protect that loved one. He saw a strong warrior and a stalwart heart, willing to sacrifice even himself for those he loved. There was no evil present in this young one. But what is this? Is that a flash of silver in the eye? Yes it is! Well what do you know? He smiled. This one is more important than they could imagine._

_"what…you…see?"_

_"there is no evil in you. Your eyes are beautiful. A truly rare gem in this age. You need not worry. Come, walk with me a while. As long as I am here I will help you. You will need not worry about those others."_

_"Who are you?" Orin said as he slowly changed back._

_"I am Lorin."_

"Link?"

Link blinked, his eyes focusing on the world around him again. He looked up to Orin who had concern written across his face. Link smiled and caressed his face again making him relax.

"I'm fine Orin. It's nothing."

Orin's eyes dropped again but this time his feet slid backwards, making him fall into Links body. Link took a step back and caught him, his feet sliding in the sand on the floor.

"Orin are you okay?"

"Orin…tired…hurts…can't stand."

"All right. Come sit over here then."

Link helped him sit down, then dug the bandages out of his pack. Orin backed away a little bit as he approached making link sigh.

"Orin, we have to bandage those wounds. We don't want anything getting in them."

Orin whimpered.

"Orin, I will tie you down if I have to."

He growled.

"Orin you are being a child. It won't hurt. And you won't be wearing them long since I know dragon's heal fast."

He whimpered again but didn't move as Link proceeded to bandage his wounds. The leg and arm were easy but when he went to touch Orin's right wing he winced and whimpered. There were no visible wounds on the wing but it has hanging off his body a little funny near the socket. Link rested his hand near the joint and there was a gap. The wing wasn't broken just dislocated. Oh boy.

"Orin, I am going to have to put your wing back in place. It is going to hurt like Din but if we don't you won't be able to use that wing. K?"

Orin nodded. Link watched as he braced himself on the steps they were perched and closed his eyes. Link gently ran his hands along the wing getting a firm grip. Link took a deep breath and in one swift motion jerked the wing toward the socket. A very audible pop was heard followed by a loud roar of pain from Orin. A few whimpers later and Orin was able to move his wing, for the most part.

Link looked at him and could see he was exhausted. He couldn't keep his eyes open but he still stared out at the entrance as if he was expecting another attack. He was in guard mode apparently, even though he probably should be resting.

"Orin."

He grunted.

"You need to rest. I can look out for monsters. You sleep."

Orin looked at him with a worried expression.

"I will be fine. I can take care of myself. I am the Hero of Time."

Orin nodded, Then promptly laid down and made a pillow out of Link's left leg. Link sat there blinking for a bit at the sudden movement. He had never known Orin to allow someone to see him in any kind of vulnerable state at all. Huh. But now that he looked at him as he promptly fell asleep it was kind of cute. And Link was strangely comfortable with it.

Link sat there resting his hand on Orin's head, unconsciously running his fingers through his hair as if he had always done so. The longer he sat there it seemed the more natural it was. He had a strange feeling as if this was the way it had been, but he just couldn't remember. And every time he looked down at Orin's sleeping face a loving smile crept across his. How strange? What were these feelings? These feelings of completeness and peace. What was this?

Link drifted off in contemplation, staring off into space as underneath his hand Orin changed back wearing the only thing left of what he had been wearing, a pair of ripped black breeches.

Orin woke from a pleasant dream of flying over his old homeland only to feel a massive headache and a wave of mental fog. His body ached and his throat burned. He felt like he had been trampled by a legion of dragon warriors on horses. But even through the pain he found whatever he was lying against was quite comfortable and warm. The scent of the forest was comforting and took the edge of a little. He didn't feel like moving. Until he felt a hand running gently through his hair. He turned then to see Link's face staring off into the distance a glazed look in his eyes. That's when he learned his pillow was actually Link's leg. How did he..? Ugh. Can't remember. Memory fogged.

"Link?"

Link's eyes lost there glazed look as he rolled over onto his back, still too comfortable to actually get up. Well that and he feared he would not be able to stand and roll tail over teakettle down the steps he just realized he was laying on.

"Hey Orin, how are you feeling?"

"Comfortable, aside from the headache and my body feeling like it got ran over by an army of goblins."

"Good. If you can still make a joke than your all right."

Orin chuckled.

"Hey Orin, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"I keep having these visions where I see myself with you but you call me by a different name. I think there are somebody's memories but I am not sure. Did you ever know someone named Lorin before you came here to Hyrule?"

Orin quickly sat up and rested his elbows on his knee's. he stared at the ground as he fought through the mental fog. Once he did though the name evoked a depression in him that burned his very core. He closed his eyes to fight the tears.

"Orin?"

"Yeah. I can't remember completely but he was important to me at some point. I think…we were lovers…no not lovers…mates…life mates I think. Or going to become life mates…but we were separated somehow. I can't remember how."

"Oh."

"You look a lot like him actually." Orin said turning toward Link.

"I do?"

"Yeah. If it weren't for the fact that his hair would have turned grey by now I would say you could be him."

"he was older than you?"

"Yeah. You could be his son though."

"that would mean he had to have had bedded a woman after you separated."

"Not exactly."

Link looked at him confused.

"You see link, those of my kind are more reptilian than hylian. In our race women aren't the only ones who can bear children. About half of our male population can bear children, that way if we are low on females our race won't die out."

"Convenient."

"Yeah, and that is why seeing two men walk hand in hand down the street doesn't faze us in the least. Hylian's on the other hand freak out."

"But if Lorin had me while you guys were still together wouldn't that make me your kid as well?"  
"That's a disturbing thought…"

Orin grabbed hold of Links chin and studied his face for a moment and then let go,

"Well I don't see any of my features in your face so I think your safe."

They both laughed.

She looked into her crystal and saw the carnage wrought by the man they had captured. The claws on her hand scratched angrily against the polished surface causing sparks to fly off. No wonder Ganon had failed with such incompetent minions. They were useless. She twirled violently form the crystal and walked to her balcony.

she stared out from the lofty perch over the grey stone walls that blocked in the courtyard where a large apparatus was being built. Creatures of every shape and size scurried across the grounds. The clanking of machines and tools echoed throughout the yard. A group of hooded figures caught her eyes and she shouted at them.

"Reavers! I have a task for you."

* * *

_Sorry it took so long. Writers block hit full force and the next one may take a while two because I am stuck between two different scenes and the order I wish tem to come in. so enjoy this chap and I will hopefully get the next out soon once I figure it all out._


	12. They remember

"Orin."

"What?"

"I feel cold. Something isn't right. Wait-do you smell that?"

Orin sniffed the air, he couldn't smell anything. But he could feel the coldness Link did. He took a deep breath and when he exhaled he was shocked to see his own breath. That can't be right. Weren't they in the dessert? He shouldn't be able to see his own breath.

"This smell, it's sweet but, I don't feel well. I feel really weird Orin."

Orin turned to see Link stand up and place his hand on his forehead. His skin was going pale and his stance was wavering. A small wisp pf white smoke caught Orin's eye coming from the entrance to the temple. He turned his head but couldn't see the source, Though he could feel something was there.

His defensive instincts kicked in and he stood, taking his place next to link, his chest facing his right shoulder.

"What is it link? Are you all right?"

"My mind is fuzzy…and my back…it feels strange…like something is moving…"

Link swayed causing Orin to grab hold of him and that's when he felt it. It was just underneath the skin. Something moved beneath it, as if trying to get out.

His skin was starting to look as if it was cracking, the small indents in his skin forming into sharp triangles piled on top of each other. The sides of his face began to tint green with the cracks. His body was warming, reaching temperatures to high for a hylian's body to handle. What in the dragons name was going on?

Then it hit him like a King Dodongo hitting him at full speed. Link was changing. He wasn't a Hylian. Orin's suspicions were beginning to solidify themselves.

Suddenly a familiar whoosh sound slipped through the air. Orin turned to see the flash of an arrow tip, carved out of a bright red gem. The shaft was made of a pale bone, adorned with the feathers from a black dragons wing. He marked it's trajectory as coming form outside the temple and it's target…Link. Orin reached out into the air and wrapped his hand around it just inches from Link's heart. And the entire scenario was done in the blink of an eye.

"Well, well, well…the draconic prince still seems to have all his skills despite the fact he can't remember anything."

The voice was mocking and grating but Orin recognized it. It was a voice form a nightmare he only recently remembered. And the aura he could now feel was one his instincts knew far to well. His eyes narrowed and his lips peeled back away from his teeth in a hateful snarl.

"And look, despite how they were separated and how far apart they were to each other they seemed to find each other again. Too bad neither can remember."

Orin looked around the temple as the voices directions came from all around and yet at the same time no direction at all. They echoed off the old walls making it hard to discern which one belonged to who and in what direction.

Orin pulled Link's body close to him and growled into the open air.

"And look how the pretty one is reacting to the incense the mistress gave us. She was correct in suspecting this one. Pity he doesn't even know what he is."

A peeling laughter echoed form all sides that grated on Orin's ears. They were playing with them.

"Come out cowards! Stop hiding!"

A cold chill went down Orin's spine as a shadow rose form the floor of the temple's entrance. It eyes faded like diluted ink but quickly darkened and finally solidified into a hooded figure with a blackened face and dark red eyes. The stench of corrupted dragon flooded from it in waves. Soon another appeared to Orin's right and a third to his left, forming a triangular formation around him and link.

"Reavers…" Orin growled viciously.

The one near the temple entrance chuckled, "At least you remember that much. I am actually surprised you actually survived Gannon's tortures. The mistress showed us what he did to you. But then again your endurance 'your majesty' has always been astounding."

"If you are trying to get my to return forget it! The spell on me is gone now. I am not under his control." The one off to his left chuckled, "Who said we were after you?"

The one off to the right chimed in, "Yes, who?"

The one near the entrance, Orin now presumed to be the leader since he was the one doing the most talking raised his hand upwards.

"we are not here for you prince. The mistress wants the one who you protected. She wants the King Dragon."

A confused expression washed across Orin's face. The King Dragon? The King Dragon…

"_Daddy? What is the King Dragon? I didn't think Draconic's had a king."_

_A tall man in royal garb hoisted ten year old Orin onto his lap._

"_Well, my son, the King Dragon is one of our race who is chosen by the dragons to guard our most scared treasure. Do you remember what that is?"_

"_The Dragon Crystal. It keeps the balance and is the source of the Hylian's goddesses power."_

"_Good, at least one of my children pays attention in their classes. Well the King Dragon is the protector of the keys to it. It is the King's job is to make sure evil doesn't get there hands on those keys and to do this they are granted powers far beyond our own. You remember the legend of the four winged dragon?"_

"_Uh-huh. The one who had to walk alone for the clan's protection. He had to give up everything he had and disappear as if he never existed. It was a sad story."_

"_Well, that is who the King Dragon is."_

"_Oh. But how would you know who the King Dragon is? The four wings only appeared when he raged."_

"_They are born with a mark on their body. The one with the mark lives out there life as the King Dragon once they come of age. And once they die, the mark is passed on to the next generation."_

_Orin's eyes widened. They were after the crystal! If evil got a hold of it, all of Hyrule and the lands beyond it would be cast into darkness. The goddesses would loose there power and the dragons would die. Everything would be destroyed. Even the evil that gained control. _

"_Your after the treasure."_

"_Not me young one. Our mistress. And to get to it we must have The King. Originally we were just gonna kidnap you and force him to come out but, you did our job for us."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I am surprised you haven't noticed. I mean the two of you used to be mates and all. You would think it would be the first thing you would remember."_

"_How would you know such things?"_

"_The mistress used her crystal to learn it. And she says the one you carry in your arms is the one she seeks."_

"_Yes, the blonde one."_

"_Blonde one."_

_Orin glared, " what proof do you have he is the one? Link is just a normal Hylian."_

"_Who happened to save Hyrule all by himself. And was able to love within the Kokiri forest without turning into a lost child. And we all know that only a Dragon is immune to the spells affects."_

_Orin glared at him while inside he knew he was right. _

_The leader smiled a sharp tooth grin, as he pointed to Link._

"_It doesn't matter anyway. Soon you will have the proof. The incense should be firmly in his blood stream now and once it takes hold we will have what we want._

_Orin felt Link's strength slip as he held him. His body began to shake and small whimpers began to make themselves known. Then suddenly he screamed and dropped to the ground holding his abdomen, waves of energy the burned and froze the skin pulsed through the air._

"_What did you do to him?" Orin yelled._

"_we unlocked the part of him that he isn't even aware of. And once it takes over the incense will paralyze him and we will be able to take him to our mistress."_

"_You will not lay a hand on him!"_

_Orin charged at a speed that shocked the three Reavers. He swung at the leader and connected with a powerful right hook to the jaw. The creature went sprawling into a nearby wall, but instead of slamming against it he bounded off the wall and shot back towards him. Orin's reflexes took over and he stepped out of the way, the creature colliding with one of it's cohorts. _

_Orin quickly jumped back over to link who had passed out form the pain. His skin was now a mixture of green and gold scale, his hair streaked with the same coloring as when they had saved the green dragon in the forest temple. _

_Orin stood over his changing body, his wings outspread and his hands formed into claws. He watched as the creatures stood and began to circle. One reached up with a black scaled hand and dislodged the cloak form around it. The red eyes were framed in completely black skin, marred with twisted black scales, scarred claws, and elongated teeth. The others followed, revealing themselves to be what they truly were. Corrupted black dragons._

_Orin growled as he stretched his hands making sure his claws were fully extended as he waited for there attacks. The leader attacked first with a swipe to the head that Orin dodged. A kick was aimed for his face that he blocked with his forearm, followed by a spiked tail that tried to trip him. He jumped into the air and the others followed sending a flurry of kicks and punches and swipes that Orin blocked as fast as they threw them. _

_One of the assailants were suddenly slammed against the wall as Orin placed a well executed punch to his stomach but before he could follow up one of the others hit him across the jaw and sent him flying. The pain of his body hitting the wall wracked his body and the force knocked the wind out of his lungs. But before he could catch his breath they capitalized on him and began beating and kicking him. _

_But Orin saw passed them. As the two lackeys kicked, clawed and beat on him he watched as the leader approached Link's motionless form. Orin tried to get up, tried to do something but his body had yet to fully recover form his earlier transformation. He couldn't do a thing. Only watch as the leader prepared to take Link away._

_He was floating. His body drifting above a land he saw was familiar but could never remember going there. A large castle built into a mountain towered over a city, seeming to be made out of the earth and leaves it rested on. A race of people with wings and scales walked the streets lined with beautiful tree's with purple flowers on them. He knew this place. Why did he know this place?_

_Suddenly his body floated forward and drifted towards the castle. He stopped over a courtyard surrounded by those flowering tree's the petals floating around in the wind. They swirled and danced upon the warm breeze like fairies in the old magic fountains he had traversed on his journey. _

_A movement caught his eye and there in the blossoms stood Orin in a tunic fit for a king, his long hair adorned with gems, feathers and gold bands that glistened in the warm sunlight. He stood as if waiting for someone._

"_Link…"_

_He turned his head toward a voice, his voice._

"_Huh? Who's there?"_

"_Link…you must remember."_

"_Remember what?"_

_He turned back around to come face to face with a mirror. No, not a mirror. It was him. But he was different. His hair though the same golden hue was streaked with green. His eyes were mismatched one golden eye the other a dark green. He was dressed in dark green leather armor that clung tight to his skin. On the chest was etched two dragons wrapped around each other in an intimate embrace, both biting onto a single crystal in the middle. A simple long sword was attached to his back, along with a shield, bow and quiver._

_Unlike Orin his clothes seemed of an average make and he lacked the decoration Orin had. All he had was a dragon tooth tied onto a leather cord, with a crystal embedded in it. And unlike his current appearance this image of him was older, at least a decade older in appearance._

"_You must remember everything. He needs you."_

"_Who are you?"_

"_I am you. I am your past. Remember Link. Remember Lorin. Remember everything."_

_The older form of him grabbed onto his face and thrust forward, their lips coming together. But link didn't feel it, for the older version of him melted into his body. And that was when it happened. The flood gates of Link's memory opened, and as it filled in the holes in his memory the scene changed, the beauty caught fire, Orin was in chains, and he watched as he became a child._

"_Link!", Orin screamed._

_Suddenly and intense surge of energy rocked the temple to it's core. It pulsed throughout the whole area knocking the Reavers to the floor. The pulse became stronger and stronger until the waves of energy could be seen as well as felt. And Orin followed the rings of energy backwards, and the centered around Link._

_Suddenly Link's eyes shot open, a white fire glowing within. He rolled over onto his hands and knees, his back bulging and jumping up toward the sky. In a sudden spray of blood and cloth two stark white wings ripped form his body and stretched to either side in a nearly ten foot wingspan. But shortly after a second pair unfolded from the ones underneath, and stretched only few inches shy of the formers length. Bright gold and green scales shown form Link's tightly muscled form. _

_With the grace and ease of the stealthiest cat he stood, his long golden locks flowing around his form. A tail split in two near the end flicked back in forth as his now mismatched eye scanned the room. They looked to each creature in turn, who were now shaking in fear. Orin's eyes were the last to be caught by his gaze, and when they did Orin's broken memories filled in._

"_Lorin?"_

_The Draconic man that stood before him smiled and pulled down the right side of the torn trousers he was wearing. There, branded on the skin was a mark. A four winged dragon clutching a large crystal._

_It was him. It was Lorin. His mate was alive. His being filled with an overwhelming joy that would have caused him to wrap him in his arms and kiss the fire out of him if it wasn't for the injuries that kept him immobile._

"_How is he raging? The incense should have paralyzed him!"_

_A low chuckle emanated from Lorin as he walked towards the leader of the group. His shoulders and hips swayed as he walked on his toes. He cracked his knuckles as he approached the leader and pulled him roughly off the ground by his throat._

"_It is because your mistress only knows how to combat normal members of my race Reaver. I am the King Dragon. My body is built different then others of my race. But of course you wouldn't know that now would you."_

_Orin watched as the other two tried to sneak up from behind. He went to yell but before he could get the words out of his mouth he had flicked up his tail, impaling them both on the end spikes. And then with a second flick the two now dead Reavers were flung into the wall. The leader visibly paled and began to struggle. Then plead and beg for his life. But when Lorin looked over to Orin and saw what had happened to him. No such mercy was to be had. A loud crack silenced him._

_Lorin turned to Orin and rushed to his side. He gently pulled Him into his lap, wrapping his arms around his battered form. His soul soared high at having his life mate in his arms again. He caressed his cheek, his neck and ran his fingers through his hair, staring into his deep blue eyes and drowning in them fir the first time in what seemed like an eternity._

_There was so many things he wanted to do. So many words he wanted to say. So much time they had to catch up on. He had no Idea where to start. But His body decided that it would have to wait._

_His eyes began to blur and twist as he stared at Orin's battered form. His body was steadily losing strength and no amount of will could keep it form happening. He felt the flush of power quickly leave him as his world began to turn upside down. The last thing Link remembered before blackness took him was a single tiny light fluttering, a few familiar shadowed shapes and the faint sound of a woman's voice._


End file.
